Closing gong as perfect opening!

The 57th Annual General Conference, which opened in Lagos last week started with a visit of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for the Closing Gong Ceremony on Thursday August 17, 2017.

The NBA delegation, led by the President, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), was invited by the Chief Executive Officer of the NSE, Oscar Onyema, to ring the closing gong on the floor of the Exchange.

In his welcome remarks, Onyema noted the significance of lawyers to the Exchange, stating that not a single transaction was carried out without their involvement.

“We have had long and profitable relationship with the legal profession. We have also been working closely with the NBA to ensure that the quality legal service being provided for the market is top-notch.

“We currently have an ongoing programme known as the Knowledge Impact Series and the goal is to bridge the knowledge gap in the sector and further enhance services within the capital market,” he said.

Speaking on the floor of the Exchange, the Floor Manager (Doyen) welcomed the NBA President and his delegation to the Exchange. He stated that the NSE has its fair share of lawyers who are actively involved in the market.

“The NBA President who is also a part of the Exchange is conversant with the activities of the floor and we are happy that the Nigerian Bar as a body continues to reach out to us in order to be a part of what we’re doing here.

“We are only too glad to support the conference and indeed the Bar however we can,” the Doyen said.

Thanking the Management of the NSE for the opportunity, the Chairman of the Technical Committee on Conference Planning (TCCP), Prof. Koyinsola Ajayi (SAN) spoke of the significance of closing the market and what it symbolises for the NBA.

“Since the closing of the bell is indicative of a prosperous market, we believe this marks the beginning of a successful conference. We are glad for this opportunity and look forward to many more partnerships,” he said.

Globally, the closing gong/bell signifies the end of a trading session. While the closing gong is usually the responsibility of the Exchange’s Floor Managers, the Nigerian Stock Exchange and a number of other Exchanges around the world present special guests with an opportunity to ring the closing gong.

The 57th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is focused on “African Business: Penetrating through Institution Building” with an underlying direction towards “strategic development and growth implementation”.

THEODORA KIO-LAWSON