By Ahmed Rahma
No fewer than 20 young Nigerians have completed the Graduate Trainee Programme (GTP) of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).
Last Friday, they were honoured at the first-ever digital graduation ceremony, with the chief executive of the exchange, Mr Oscar Onyema, charging them to maintain the high standard set for them.
The NSE GTP is a one-stop capacity platform for passionate young graduates to develop skill sets that will open up countless opportunities for personal and professional growth.
It is an 11-month intensive programme designed to groom talents locally and raise a new generation of leaders for the capital market and the Nigerian economy.
“It takes an extraordinary personality to succeed in a fast-paced business environment as ours and these Trainees have demonstrated the true spirit of the African Champion through their exemplary performance in the programme.
“We are confident that the professionals we are grooming at the exchange will be the vehicle through which our organisational excellence will reach the world even as we look forward to becoming a demutualised entity,” the NSE chief said.
In his presentation, the Managing Director of Interswitch, Mr Mitchell Elegbe, applauded the trainees on the momentous occasion while commending NSE for setting up the scheme to groom a distinguished breed of young professionals for the capital market.
“Over the years, Nigerian youth have been recording giant strides in various fields. I am, therefore, pleased to celebrate this crop of creative and innovative minds who will shape the future of the capital market, the Nigerian economy and ultimately, the African economy.
“It is my hope that as these young, talented professionals take their next steps, they will embrace and adapt to change, build the credibility and reliability required to earn stakeholders’ trust, and have the boldness to take on risks,” he said.
In delivering the valedictorian speech, the Trainee of the Year, Ms Maryam Saad, said, “As a young graduate, I will never forget the sense of pride I felt when I received my offer of employment into the NSE GTP.
“It was an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment for us all to discover that only 20 of us were selected from a pool of over 14,000 candidates. Looking back to our first day as trainees, I can confidently say that none of us is leaving this program the same person as we started.
“The activities of these past 13 months have shaped us in ways we cannot imagine, and made us better in all ramifications. Looking ahead, we remain committed to upholding the Exchange’s culture of ambition, inclusivity and fairness and using our skills and talents for the good of the Exchange, the capital market and the economy as a whole,” she said.
Modupe Gbadeyanka 
Aduragbemi Omiyale