Oluseyi Owoturo, immediate past president of Council of the Institute of Capital Market Registrars (ICMR), has urged registrars to embrace innovation and efficiency in service delivery to strengthen trust and deepen participation in Nigeria’s capital market.
Owoturo while speaking at the 14th Annual Conference and Presidential Investiture of the Institute in Lagos, said the “forum was designed to explore how registrars can transform their operations through technology and forward-thinking strategies to meet the demands of the future.”
He said the conference theme, “Unlocking Global Value: The Evolving Role of Capital Market Registrars in Trust, Efficiency and Innovation,” reflected the need for registrars to evolve from traditional record-keepers to strategic partners shaping the future of the capital market.
According to him, “the role of registrars now extends to fostering transparency, enhancing investor engagement, and supporting the growth of a resilient and sustainable market.”
He added that the Institute remains committed to building trust, advancing efficiency through digital innovations, and ensuring compliance with ethical and regulatory standards.
The event also featured the investiture of Catherine Nwosu as the 4th President and Chairman of Council of ICMR, alongside the induction of new fellows and associates.
Umaru Kwairanga, the group chairman of NGX Group praised the Institute’s contribution to the market, describing registrars as “the quiet custodians of confidence and credibility.
Kwairanga acknowledged that the Institute continues to play a vital role in enhancing transparency, accountability, and trust across Nigeria’s capital market.
By maintaining accurate shareholder records, facilitating dividend payments, managing investor data, and processing share transfers, registrars ensure every corporate action, from dividend disbursement to annual meetings, is executed transparently and efficiently.
“The function of the Institute extends beyond administration,” he added. “In truth, registrars are central to the liquidity, transparency, and global competitiveness of the Nigerian capital market.”
Kwairanga called on the profession to reimagine the registrar function, not as a back-office service but as a strategic driver of capital formation and investor engagement, adding that the efficiency of the registrar community is inseparable from the efficiency of the capital market itself.
Meanwhile, Olakunle Alake, group vice president of Dangote Industries Limited, delivering the keynote address, outlined three imperatives for the registrar profession including
“Digitisation and cybersecurity: embrace digital platforms, but with robust safeguards to protect data integrity.
Capacity building and training: continuous education must be non-negotiable. The world is changing too fast for outdated skills.
Global benchmarking: aim not just to meet local standards, but to benchmark against global best practices,” he said.
Alake added that “capital markets are built on confidence. Confidence is built on trust, efficiency, and innovation. And these are precisely the pillars upon which the registrar profession stands.”
He urged registrars to see themselves not only as record-keepers, but as architects of Nigeria’s future capital market.