By Ahmed Rahma
The need to uphold integrity and build trust with investors in the capital market has been emphasised by the founder and Group Chief Executive of Interswitch Group, Mr Mitchell Elegbe.
The techpreneur was at the graduation ceremony for the 2020 Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) graduate trainees held recently in Lagos as a guest speaker.
The NSE graduate trainee scheme is an 11-month intensive programme designed to groom and raise the next generation of people who will lead the growth of the capital market in Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa and the African continent as a whole.
During his speech, Mr Elegbe described trust as a currency the young stockbrokers would need in the capital market because it will endear investors to them.
“As young professionals in the financial industry, a critical currency you will be trading with is trust. When investors bring their money to the capital market, they will be buying your trust.
“They will be investing in the capital market because of how much trust equity the practitioners, including all of you, have built for the exchange.
“Being trustworthy is an important attribute you all must imbibe. Beyond your professional life, you should earn trust. Always ask yourself the question: ‘Am I a trustworthy person?” he submitted.
Mr Elegbe also charged the young professional to embrace technology because research has shown that 70 per cent of leading businesses will be technology companies in the next decade.
He noted that if Africa was to remain relevant in the imminent technology-driven future, it was important to start building and equipping the manpower for that future now.
The tech expert emphasised the need for the graduands to engage in constant learning, take calculated risks and imbibe the virtue of trustworthiness because it will preserve the sanctity and security of the market.
He commended the NSE for putting together resources, as well as creating an enabling environment through the NSE GTP to empower graduates entering the financial services industry.
