NGX, IFC Strengthen Nigeria’s Sustainable Finance Drive With Labelled Bond Workshop

Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), have co-hosted a technical capacity-building workshop to advance labelled bond issuance in Nigeria, supporting the real sector and accelerating the country’s sustainable finance objectives.

The workshop, themed ‘Unlocking Sustainable Capital for the Real Sector: A Deep Dive into the Labelled Bonds Issuance Process’, brought together issuers, market operators, institutional investors, regulators, and policymakers for practical discussions on opportunities and challenges within the sustainable bond ecosystem.

Labelled bonds, including green, social, blue, and sustainability-linked instruments, are increasingly used globally to channel private capital into climate-resilient infrastructure, clean energy, and inclusive development. While cumulative global issuance surpassed $6.2 trillion by end-2024, uptake in Nigeria remains limited, largely due to gaps in technical structuring, certification, and disclosure frameworks.

CEO of NGX, Jude Chiemeka, emphasised the critical role of sustainable finance in Nigeria’s growth strategy, saying “unlocking sustainable capital is central to achieving Nigeria’s vision of a $1 trillion economy, shared prosperity, and long-term resilience.”

He said the workshop builds on NGX’s ongoing initiatives, including its Sustainability Disclosure Guidelines, the Impact Board, and pioneering green bond listings.

Principal country officer at IFC, Christian Mulamula, highlighted IFC’s commitment to deepening market infrastructure and sustainability-linked investments across Africa. “We share an ambition for Nigeria to become a model for green and sustainable finance on the continent,” he noted.

The Federal Ministry of Environment announced Nigeria’s largest green bond to date, a N50 billion sovereign green bond to finance renewable energy, afforestation, clean transport, and sustainable agriculture.

Special adviser and coordinator of Sovereign Green Bonds, Olaitan Fajuyitan said, “this issuance underscores Nigeria’s commitment to scaling private finance in line with national development goals.”

Representing the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, director, Husaini Shettima described the workshop as timely for advancing sustainable marine finance.

“The next frontier is developing a robust blue bond framework that aligns with national priorities and global standards,” he stated.

Head of Trading and Products at NGX, Abimbola Babalola noted that “bond listings on NGX offer issuers access to a diversified investor base and enhance market transparency, key for sustainable capital mobilisation.”

As Nigeria pursues climate-resilient, inclusive growth, deepening the sustainable bond market is seen as critical to unlocking the scale of capital required for its long-term ambitions.