Dike Onwuamaeze
The Chief Executive Officer of the DLM Capital Group, Mr. Sonnie Ayere, has called on actors in the Nigerian capital to make the most out of the opportunity offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement to make the continent’s financial market their focus.
Ayere, made call recently when the Advisory Board and Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Public Resources Management and Politics (CIPRMP), Ghana, conferred and honoured him with the prestigious lifetime Senior Fellowship recognition award.
He said: “The next level is for the financial market institutions in Nigeria to move into the larger African space. It allows us, by God’s grace, to be able to expand because the future is Africa for players in the financial markets.
“It will be great if I can take my firm to Ghana, South Africa and Mozambique. The commercial banks like the UBA that have become more Pan –African financial institutions have shown us the way,” adding that “the opportunity is huge but depends what a country will chose to make out of it. So, it can be great for a country and it can be bad for a country.”
Ayere expressed appreciation for being singled out to be honoured by the CIPRMP, saying, “This is my third award from Ghana. I dedicate this to my colleagues whose hard work and cooperation made it possible. We have changed our focus to financing transactions that will have an impact on the people that we live with.
“That is why we have evolved our logo and brand mission toward bespoke financing to impacting life. By next year we will become something that people will be very familiar with and say ‘yes, DLM has been a benefit to me.’”
Ayere said DLM is mainly known for doing structured finance products, securitization other financial services that are not common in this country which has distinguished us among our peers.
“Ghana was one of my countries when I covered financial market for the International Finance Corporation. But I have not done any transaction in Ghana since DLM was started 11 years ago. That is why I said that it is an honour to have this,” he said.
The Managing Director of Stephanie John and Associates, Mrs. Uche Ayere, observed that the fact that the recognition came all the way from Ghana speaks to the fact that, “Africa is becoming borderless and more united. It also means that the values we uphold in Nigeria are also upheld in Ghana.”
According to the Executive Director of CIPRMP, Dr. Richards Kpoku, the decision to confer Ayere with the fellowship was swayed by his spotless integrity as a financial and capital market player.
Kpoku said: “Most importantly, Sir, is the fact that your name and offices have never been found wanting in any financial malpractices, abuse of office, indictment or misconduct of any kind. Your incorruptible track records of accomplishments are monumental in Nigeria’s corporate history. All these indicies attest to reasons why you have been specially recognised by the institute.”
