Jude Chiemeka, chief executive officer of Nigerian Exchange Limited, has been appointed president of the African Securities Exchanges Association, effective Sept. 30, 2026, placing one of Nigeria’s senior capital-markets executives at the center of efforts to deepen integration, liquidity and cross-border investment across the continent.

Chiemeka, who also chairs the West African Capital Markets Integration Council, succeeds Pierre Célestin Rwabukumba, CEO of the Rwanda Stock Exchange. His appointment comes as African exchanges seek closer links, stronger market infrastructure and wider adoption of technology to make capital markets more accessible to investors and issuers.

A new push for integration

ASEA said Chiemeka will lead the association at a pivotal period for African markets, with priorities including improving liquidity, strengthening regional connectivity, accelerating technology adoption and expanding cross-border capital flows. The agenda reflects a broader push to make fragmented national markets more closely connected and attractive to global investors.

A three-decade market career has taken Chiemeka through securities trading, asset management and investment banking. Since becoming NGX CEO in July 2024, he has been involved in regional market initiatives and major transactions, while leading the exchange as its market capitalization reached N161.72 trillion ($121.6 billion), according to the statement.

Before joining NGX, Chiemeka was managing director and CEO of United Capital Securities Ltd., a subsidiary of United Capital Plc. He previously held senior roles at Chapel Hill Denham Securities and Rencap Securities Nigeria. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and studied at the University of Lagos, Lagos Business School and the University of Oxford.

Chiemeka sets market agenda

Chiemeka said leading ASEA was a privilege at a time when market integration and technology-led innovation are becoming increasingly important to Africa’s economic development. He said the association would build on Rwabukumba’s work by pursuing stronger cross-border investment frameworks, deeper liquidity pools and sustainable finance initiatives.

The new presidency will place cross-border trading and cross-listing high on ASEA’s agenda, allowing investors and companies to move more easily between African jurisdictions. The association also plans to promote digital financial technologies and modern market infrastructure, with the goal of improving efficiency and widening access for retail investors.

Capital mobility in focus

Capital mobility will be another priority, with ASEA seeking stronger connections with global institutional investors while encouraging greater participation by local investors. The association also plans to advance sustainable finance by promoting more consistent environmental, social and governance frameworks and green-bond listings across member exchanges.

Rwabukumba, who led ASEA before Chiemeka, welcomed the appointment and said his successor was well positioned to guide the association. He cited Chiemeka’s leadership of the Nigerian market and WACMIC experience as strengths as African exchanges pursue closer cooperation and a more integrated regional investment landscape.

Nigeria gains larger role

Chiemeka’s appointment also gives Nigeria a prominent role in the continent’s capital-market integration drive. NGX, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nigerian Exchange Group, operates a multi-asset marketplace for equities, fixed income securities, exchange-traded funds and other investment products, serving domestic and international investors through its listing and secondary-market platforms.

Established in 1993, the African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA) is the premier association of securities exchanges in Africa, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. It represents 25 exchanges across 37 African countries, with about 1,100 listed companies and a combined market capitalization of roughly $2 trillion, underscoring the scale of the market Chiemeka will now help coordinate. The association aims to strengthen capital mobilization, sustainability and financial inclusion as African markets seek greater scale and connectivity.