By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
THE NIGERIAN Exchange (NGX) has crossed the N100 trillion market capitalisation milestone, prompting President Bola Tinubu to commend corporate Nigeria, citizens, and capital market stakeholders for the achievement.
President Tinubu described the record as an inspiration for investors operating in the money and capital markets, according to a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on January 8, 2026.
He urged Nigerians to deepen investments in the local economy, assuring that 2026 will deliver greater returns as his administration’s economic reforms continue to strengthen outcomes.
With the NGX surpassing the historic N100 trillion-mark, President Tinubu said Nigeria is witnessing the birth of a new economic reality and rejuvenation.
He noted that while many global markets struggled in 2025, the NGX All-Share Index rose by 51.19%, surpassing the 37.65% recorded in 2024.
He added that these returns ranked among the highest globally, outpacing the S&P 500, the FTSE 100, and several emerging-market peers in the BRICS+ group.
President Tinubu stated that Nigeria is no longer a frontier market to be ignored and described the stock market’s performance as a significant indicator of economic health and investor confidence.
He highlighted the performances of listed companies across all sectors, including blue-chip industrial firms that have localised supply chains and a banking sector demonstrating resilience and technological innovation.
He said these companies prove Nigeria can deliver strong investment returns.
The President noted a robust pipeline of upcoming listings, including indigenous energy firms, tech companies, telecoms, and infrastructure-heavy entities seeking to access the public market for expansion.
He said new listings would boost market capitalisation and deepen democratic ownership of the economy.
President Tinubu linked the stock market gains to broader economic reforms adding that following initial headwinds, the administration has seen a bend in the inflation curve.
He credited monetary tightening and the removal of distortionary ‘Ways and Means’ financing for stabilising the Naira and cited agricultural investments as contributing to consistent inflation decline over the past eight months.
He noted that inflation fell from a 24-month high of 34.8% in December 2024 to 14.45% in November 2025, with projections indicating it could reach 12% in 2026 and fall below 10% before year-end, improving living standards and GDP growth.
The President also cited Nigeria’s current account as another indicator of economic health saying that the country posted a $16 billion surplus in 2024, with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) projecting a rise to $18.81 billion in 2026, up from $16.94 billion in 2025.
He also highlighted export gains, noting that non-oil exports rose by 48% by the third quarter of 2025, totalling N9.2 trillion, while exports to Africa grew 97% to N4.9 trillion.
Manufacturing exports increased 67% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2025, suggesting a strong close to the year.
President Tinubu further reported that Nigeria’s foreign reserves surpassed $45 billion, allowing the CBN to maintain stability and added that the naira has stabilised and that reserves are projected to exceed $50 billion in the first quarter of 2026.
He also highlighted infrastructural developments, including rail network expansion, completion of major arterial roads, revitalisation of ports, and transformative projects such as the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry superhighways.
He mentioned improvements in medicare facilities, declining medical tourism costs, student access to the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), and increased university research grants.
President Tinubu described nation-building as a process driven by citizen hard work and sacrifices and said the N100 trillion market capitalisation signals to the world that Nigeria’s economy is robust and productive.
He pledged to continue working to build an egalitarian, transparent, and high-growth economy, further catalysed by historic tax and fiscal reforms fully implemented from January 1, 2026.
