By Peace Udugba
FMDQ Group PLC has celebrated outstanding institutions and market participants for their contributions to innovation, market development, liquidity and competitiveness at the 9th edition of its annual FMDQ GOLD Awards.
The 2026 GOLD Awards recognised outstanding performances and significant contributions by stakeholders during the October 2025 to September 2026 assessment period.
The awards were guided by FMDQ’s GOLD Agenda, which represents Global Competitiveness, Operational Excellence, Liquidity and Diversity, underscoring the Group’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s financial markets.
For the second consecutive year, the awards were commemorated through a dedicated publication showcasing the recipients and their achievements. The publication was featured on FMDQ Group’s corporate website, social media platforms and selected media outlets.
Commenting on the awards, the Group Chief Executive Officer of FMDQ Group, Mr Zeal Akaraiwe, congratulated the winners and nominees, describing their recognition as a reflection of the standards, values and innovations they have brought to the development of Nigeria’s financial market ecosystem.
He noted that market development requires deliberate commitment, collective efforts, innovation and a willingness to challenge existing conventions to ensure sustainable growth.
Similarly, the Group Chief Operating Officer, Ms Tumi Sekoni, said the awards were designed not only to celebrate achievements but also to promote excellence, encourage higher standards and inspire participants to contribute to the future development of the financial markets.
She emphasised that building globally competitive financial markets requires sustained commitment to excellence, strong infrastructure and collective determination.
Verification, Award Categories and Recipients
The credibility of the 2026 GOLD Awards was supported by a structured and independently managed verification process, with Ernst & Young (EY) serving as the independent verifier.
The awards featured five categories: Primary Market Awards, Secondary Market Awards, Members’ and Clients’ Choice Awards, Leadership Award and Recognition Award.
A total of 25 awards were presented at the 2026 edition.
Chapel Hill Denham Advisory Limited emerged as the Primary Market Champion Award recipient for FMDQ Capital Markets Securities Origination, while Stanbic IBTC Bank Limited received the Secondary Market Champion Award as FMDQ Dealing Member of the Year.
Other recipients across the primary and secondary market categories included UAC of Nigeria PLC, Champion Breweries PLC, Anchor Funding SPV Limited, Coronation Merchant Bank Limited, Vetiva Advisory Services Limited, Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited, Chapel Hill Denham Management Limited, United Capital PLC, Olaniwun Ajayi LP and First Bank of Nigeria Limited, among others.
In the Members’ and Clients’ Choice Awards category, Zedcrest Capital Limited, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, Prudent Energy & Services Limited and Standard Chartered Bank London were recognised for their contributions to the fixed income and currency markets.
NBET Finance Company PLC received the Leadership Award as FMDQ Capital Market Catalyst in recognition of its pivotal role in the Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme, a capital market initiative aimed at settling legacy debts in Nigeria’s power sector dating back to 2015.
The initiative highlights the role of the capital market in providing long-term financing solutions to address challenges in critical sectors of the economy.
Also, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Olayemi Michael Cardoso, received the FMDQ Visionary Market Regulator Award under the Recognition Award category.
The award recognises his leadership and contributions to regulatory reforms aimed at strengthening market development, transparency, efficiency and investor confidence.
FMDQ Group said the GOLD Awards remained an important platform for recognising excellence, promoting transparency and encouraging innovation across Nigeria’s financial markets.
The Group reaffirmed its commitment to advancing its GOLD Agenda and building a financial market ecosystem driven by high standards, strong institutions and global competitiveness.
It congratulated all recipients of the 2026 FMDQ GOLD Awards.
About FMDQ Group PLC
FMDQ Group PLC is Africa’s first vertically integrated financial market infrastructure (FMI) group, providing end-to-end services across the financial markets value chain.
Through its wholly owned subsidiaries — FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited, FMDQ Clear Limited, FMDQ Depository Limited and FMDQ Private Markets Limited — the Group provides services covering registration, listing, quotation, trading, clearing, settlement, securities depository, market data and information across the debt capital, foreign exchange, derivatives and equity markets.
The Group also operates the FMDQ Green Exchange through FMDQ Securities Exchange, positioning it as a platform to support the transition towards a sustainable future.
