Popoola Advocates for Collaborative Alignment to Drive Sustainable Capital

Kayode Tokede

Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Group, Temi Popoola has called for continued collaboration among regulators, exchanges, and international partners to effectively channel sustainable capital flows across emerging markets.

Speaking at the International Finance Corporation conference in Cairo during a panel session themed, “Capital Mobilisation for Sustainability, Transition and Resilience,” Popoola provided insights into the evolving landscape for developing economies.

He acknowledged that emerging markets are navigating structural considerations, including the development of ESG data and reporting infrastructure, policy frameworks, funding costs, and market liquidity.

He also noted a growing global investor appetite for sustainable assets, supported by innovation in labelled instruments and the ongoing enhancement of regulatory standards.

“Emerging markets have a significant opportunity to contribute to the future of sustainable capital flows. Realising this potential calls for constructive alignment, robust disclosure standards, policy consistency, and synergy across the capital market ecosystem,” ,” Popoola said.

He highlighted the importance of evolving disclosure frameworks, noting that stronger reporting standards can enhance transparency, support risk assessment, and help attract long-term investment.

Drawing on Nigeria’s experience, he pointed to the country’s green and sustainable bond market, which began with Africa’s first certified sovereign green bond in 2017. Since then, the market has expanded across sovereign, sub-national, and corporate issuers, with repeated oversubscription reflecting growing investor confidence.