NSE, Firm Collaborate on Investment Training

• NSE, Firm Collaborate on Investment Training

The Nigerian Stock Exchange has partnered Chapel Hill Denham to organise a training programme on alternative investments, titled ‘Listed real assets: A teach-in on alternative investments.’

The NSE said in a statement that the training covered core concepts of alternative investments as well as applicable techniques for valuation, trading and investments in the asset class to help participants understand the uses and benefits of alternative investments in their portfolio diversification strategies.

A Partner in Chapel Hill Denham, Philip Southwell, who is also the co-founder of the Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund and Nigeria Real Estate Investment Trust in Nigeria, facilitated the two-hour session, engaging participants to provide a working knowledge of alternative investments.

The Divisional Head, Trading Business, NSE, Jude Chiemeka, said, “The training is in line with the Exchange’s commitment to developing the non-traditional asset classes.

“This commitment informed the migration of the Real Estate Investment Trust Funds and Closed End Funds into a separate board in December 2018, as well as the establishment of the mutual fund platform in February 2019 to promote transparency, visibility and liquidity for alternative investment vehicles.”

He added that the training aimed to provide participants with the requisite knowledge of the appropriateness of the asset class in their overall asset allocation strategy and how to invest in them.

The Chief Executive Officer, Chapel Hill Denham, Mr Bolaji Balogun, said he believed that the markets had a critical role to play in Nigeria’s economic development.

He said, “Investment portfolios in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member countries and across emerging markets will typically have a 20 to 35 per cent exposure to alternative investments.

“This area is historically where the Nigerian buy side and sell side participants have not focused prior attention and this is an opportunity to begin to engage with the brokerage community to increase their familiarity with alternative investments.”