PEARL Awards Corporate Summit Calls For Reforms To Boost Businesses

Stakeholders from Nigeria’s public and private sectors have called for policy reforms that will strengthen corporate competitiveness, stimulate economic growth, and improve the welfare of Nigerian households.

 

The call was made at the 2026 PEARL Awards Corporate Summit held on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The summit, organized by PEARL Awards Nigeria, was themed: “Policy Reforms & Corporate Competitiveness: Navigating Towards a Sustainable Edge.”

 

Delivering the keynote address, renowned economist and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, examined the impact of ongoing economic reforms on businesses and the broader economy. He emphasized the need for sustained policy consistency, institutional efficiency, and private-sector-led growth to unlock Nigeria’s economic potential.

A high-level panel session featured leading capital market and business experts, including Jude Chiemeka, Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX); Olufemi Awoyemi, Founder and Chairman of Proshare Limited; Catherine Nwosu, President and Chairman of Council of the Institute of Capital Market Registrars and Managing Director/CEO of Africa Prudential Plc; Oluropo Samuel Dada; and Bola Ajomale, Executive Commissioner (Operations) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The panel explored the relationship between policy reforms, corporate resilience, capital market development, and long-term business competitiveness.

 

The summit also attracted key government officials, regulators, market operators, corporate executives, investors, and thought leaders. The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, was represented as Special Guest of Honour, while Umaru Kwairanga, Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, attended as Guest of Honour.

Participants observed that while recent economic reforms have improved macroeconomic stability and investor confidence, businesses and households are yet to fully experience their benefits. They urged governments at all levels to focus on reducing the cost of doing business, improving infrastructure, expanding access to finance, strengthening local production, and implementing policies that directly impact citizens’ welfare.

 

Speaking on the significance of the summit, Tayo Orekoya, President and Chief Executive Officer of PEARL Awards Nigeria, described the event as a timely intervention aimed at fostering dialogue between policymakers and the private sector on pathways to sustainable economic growth and competitiveness.

 

The summit concluded with a consensus that Nigeria must move beyond economic stabilization to inclusive growth driven by productivity, innovation, investment, and effective collaboration between government and the private sector.

Participants agreed that the ultimate success of reforms should be measured by their ability to create jobs, strengthen businesses, and improve the living standards of Nigerians.
The PEARL Awards Corporate Summit is the flagship thought-leadership platform of PEARL Awards Nigeria and precedes the annual PEARL Awards, which recognizes outstanding corporate performance, transparency, and shareholder value creation in Nigeria’s capital market.