BY NECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—The Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at FMDQ Group, Emmanuel Etaderhi, has urged regulators and market operators to deploy pop culture influencers — including musicians, actors, and football stars — to drive youth engagement with the newly enacted Investment Securities Act (ISA) 2025. Etaderhi made the call at the annual conference of the Capital Market Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CAMCAN) in Lagos, noting that celebrity-driven advocacy could deepen awareness and boost participation among young Nigerians, especially those already active in the virtual assets ecosystem.
The ISA 2025 has recognised virtual assets like cryptocurrencies and others, which hold strong appeal for young Nigerians. According to the Chainalysis report, Sub-Saharan Africa is the third-fastest growing crypto market globally, behind only Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The region received $205bn in on-chain value during the review period, a 52 per cent increase year-on-year. This jump was said to have been driven mostly by young Nigerians seeking to hedge against inflation and safeguard value.
The SVP of FMDQ speaking at the conference said, “If you come to FMDQ these days, you will be surprised. I think we are more than 70 per cent youth. The young people, those people who are doing crypto and have the knowledge about digital currencies. Those people who have knowledge about the new products that have been introduced, the greater population in our offices, the smart tech guys, we are essentially a tech company.
“So it’s not just a document for today. It’s a document for the future. It’s a document that guarantees Nigeria’s development towards really becoming that beacon of hope, beacon of hope for Africa, the light of Africa. I insist, go back to the youths. Why? Because, as we all observed, this document gives life to their dreams and aspirations. But one aspect that is very vital, in all the gatherings, in all the engagements, in all the conferences and awareness sessions, which forum has called the youths together to explain this document to them in a language they understand?”
Highlighting the way to bridge that gap, Etaderhi added, “The reason they can swiftly change to the fintech is that these things are available to them digitally. They are available to them easily at the tip of their fingers. So your education programme, your awareness creation programme, your capacity building programme must be anchored on those digitalised sources.
“The youths believe in skits a lot. They believe a lot in things that have to do with followers, likes, and podcasts. If you want to teach them, you use their methodology to teach them so that they can understand and evolve their own ways of learning. You can’t use the old methods of learning to engage and attract youths; they don’t have the time to be reading one long article or one long essay. You need to put it into digitalised formats so that you can attract them.
“You need to get endorsements from the big-time artists. Recognise individuals in the artistic space. Nigeria has colonised this world with music. In the deep heart of Morocco, Burna Boy is well-known. In Ireland, Davido is well-known. Everywhere, you need to bring these icons. Use them as a means to convey messages to the youths because the youths will always follow them. Major artists, major footballers. Football is something that’s crazily affecting all youths.
Use the means of these icons to attract attention to the capital markets. Bring them as your idols and ambassadors. Teach them first and enable them to spread the message to these youths because to attract somebody, you must look at what attracts the person’s attention.”
Speaking on the importance of reaching younger investors, Etaderhi said the law is “not just for today; it is for the future” and provides opportunities in digital currencies, sustainable finance, and innovative instruments like Sukuk. He emphasised that to capture the attention of Nigeria’s youth, financial education and awareness programs must be delivered in formats they understand, including skits, podcasts, social media, and endorsements from cultural icons.
Highlighting FMDQ’s involvement in shaping ISA 2025, Etaderhi noted that the organisation participated in multiple committees, consultations, and engagements with legislators and market players. “Two of our young professionals were recognised for their contributions, and this demonstrates the importance of including youth perspectives in developing forward-looking legislation,” he said.
Etaderhi stressed that ISA 2025 has the potential to transform Nigeria’s capital markets by fostering innovation, increasing transparency, and aligning investment opportunities with the aspirations of young Nigerians. “If we engage the youth properly, using the channels they follow and admire, we can ensure that ISA 2025 is understood, embraced, and fully implemented,” he said.
On increasing awareness for Sukuks, a Sharia-compliant financial instrument that has funded infrastructure projects such as road development across Nigeria, Etaderhi said the ISA 2025 provides for it, and stakeholders could play a lot more in it.
“It (ISA 2025) speaks to digital currencies. It speaks to the description of SDGs in terms of composite and non-composite. It speaks to things like non-interest financial instruments. We are travelling from Asaba to Enugu. On the road, you see, this road was developed by Sukuk. Sukuk is an instrument that we are not giving real push to. In spite of the fact that faith-wise, more than 50 per cent of us believe in that kind of instrument,” he said.
