Mary Onyia
Investment bankers in the country have expressed willingness to support the Federal Government in achieving its $1 trillion economy target.
This is coming on the heels of major transactions that defined the outgoing year and the huge expectations for 2025,
While speaking at an Investment Banking Awards Dinner held in Lagos over the weekend, the President, Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria (AIHN), Kemi Awodein, said the several successful transactions facilitated within the year showed the strength and resilience of the investment banking market and the economy.
According to Awodein, some of the transactions included Heineken’s $24 billion acquisition of a controlling stake in Nigerian Breweries Plc and Sahara Group’s $1 billion purchase of Egbin Power.
The prominent transactions, she said, also include Seplat Energy’s $650million bond issuance, aimed at expanding its energy operations and Airtel Africa’s $500million capital raise, which was used to enhance telecommunications infrastructure.
The initiatives, the AIHN chief said, were made more feasible by the improved economic environment following recent reforms.
She said the award was to celebrate the achievements of investment bankers in Nigeria and motivate them to do more in the coming year.
“This event celebrates the investment banking sector as a whole and further celebrates people who have worked hard and executed large ticket transactions.
“It is also an opportunity for us to appreciate our clients who have given us the mandates that have led to us receiving and achieving those accolades.
“The awards were for 2023 transactions. 2024 has been a busy year and is expected to bring about a lot more impactful and interesting transactions that could qualify for awards next year”, Awodein said.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Marble Capital, Akeem Oyewale, said the sector has seen the impact of raising capital and how it has enabled private enterprises to grow.
“So, recognising the people that were behind the scenes aggregating all this capital and making sure they meet all the regulatory requirements is good”.
The awards saw Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited and Chapel Hill Denham Advisory Limited dominating the winner’s list.
While Chapel Hill Denham Advisory Limited won the Best Equity House 2023, Best M&A Deal of 2023, and Best M&A House 2023, Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited won the Best Public Sector Debt Issuance House 2023, Best Commercial Paper House 2023, Best Corporate Bond House 2023, Best DCM House 2023, Best Equity Deal of 2023 and Best Investment Bank 2023.