KEY POINTS
- Stable rules for the economy make investors feel safe.
- Long-term capital commitments are supported by stable currency rates.
- In 2025, Nigerian stocks went up more than 50 percent.
Business leaders at the European Business Chamber Nigeria (Eurocham) Annual Conference and Expo called for more predictable and stable economic regulations, arguing that consistency in policy execution is critical to sustaining investor confidence in Africa’s largest economy.
At a roundtable on European Business Perspectives in Nigeria, APM Terminals Nigeria Chief Executive Officer Frederik Klinke said recent reforms had generated cautious optimism but warned that policy stability would determine whether capital commitments materialise.
“Nigeria has enormous potential and recent reforms show promise. But potential alone is not enough,” Klinke said. “Only consistent implementation, not just policy announcements, will build the predictability investors require to commit capital with confidence.”
Stable Economic Regulations Key to Investment
Klinke noted that improvements in macroeconomic conditions, particularly in the foreign exchange market, have supported business planning. Reliable exchange rates, he said, remain central to investment decisions.
“Having an exchange rate that you can rely on is crucial for us as a business. “Our ability to invest depends on the reliability of the currency,” he added, stressing that stable economic regulations will further anchor long-term strategies.
The call for regulatory clarity aligns with broader efforts by the private sector to encourage reforms that reduce uncertainty in taxation, trade and capital flows.
Capital Market Momentum Builds
Senator Osita Izunaso, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Capital Markets, pointed to the equities market’s performance as evidence of growing investor interest. Nigerian stocks delivered returns of more than 50% in 2025, he said, while the capital market helped recapitalise the banking and insurance sectors, raising over N3 trillion.
Izunaso further said a potential listing of the Dangote Refinery could deepen market capitalisation and liquidity, allowing domestic and international investors to participate directly in a large industrial asset.
Yann Gilbert, president of Eurocham Nigeria, said that changes in world politics mean that businesses and governments need to work together more. He said that resilience depends on having trusted partners and being able to respond quickly to outside influences.
Eurocham Nigeria, which speaks for European businesses in Nigeria, keeps pushing for changes that will make Nigeria’s economic rules more stable and increase trade and investment between Nigeria and Europe.
