BusinessDay CEO Forum charts path from stability to shared prosperity

Frank Aigbogun, publisher and chief executive officer of BusinessDay Media Limited, said Nigeria has reached a critical juncture where recent macroeconomic reforms must now translate into jobs, thriving businesses, and higher living standards for citizens.

Speaking at the opening of the BusinessDay CEO Forum 2026 in Lagos, Aigbogun said while the country had made difficult but necessary policy adjustments over the past two years, stability alone was insufficient unless it delivered broad-based economic prosperity.

Themed “From Stability to Shared Prosperity,” this year’s forum brought together policymakers, regulators, investors, chief executives and business leaders to discuss Nigeria’s economic outlook and the next phase of reforms.

Aigbogun described the forum as a platform that, for more than a decade, has brought together those “who shape and direct the economy” to have candid conversations about Nigeria’s future.

“Each year we have tried to make this room less about ceremony and more about substance,” he said.

“This year’s conversation may be one of the most consequential we have hosted.”

According to him, Nigeria has undergone significant macroeconomic adjustments spanning fiscal policy, monetary policy, the foreign exchange regime and broader regulatory reforms.

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“Reasonable people can debate the pace and sequencing of these reforms, but not many can dispute that they were overdue and that they have started to restore a measure of macroeconomic discipline and credibility that Nigerians have not enjoyed in a long while,” Aigbogun said.

However, he cautioned that restoring stability was only the first step.

“Stability on its own is merely a foundation rather than a destination. The more important question is how we build on top of that foundation”

He urged policymakers and business leaders to ensure that the sacrifices made during the reform period become the launchpad for a decade of shared, inclusive growth that extends beyond major commercial centres to every state in the federation.

“Our collective task is to ensure that the sacrifices of the last two years become the launchpad for a decade of shared, inclusive growth that reaches beyond Lagos and Abuja into every state and sub-national economy in this country,” he said.

Aigbogun said discussions at the forum were designed around practical solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.

The programme featured an economic outlook presentation by KPMG, a keynote address by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, panel discussions on industrialisation, and a fireside chat with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso.

According to him, one of the central themes of the event would be how Nigeria can build a stronger industrial base, deepen value chains and expand export capacity to create sustainable jobs for its growing population.

He also commended the Minister of Finance for making time to attend the event despite a demanding official schedule.

“I have worked with several ministers of finance over more than 40 years as a journalist. I have never seen anyone among those ministers more humble than Mr Oyedele,” Aigbogun said.

He described the minister’s decision to honour the invitation despite competing engagements as a demonstration of his commitment to engaging with the private sector.

Aigbogun equally acknowledged the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria, which was scheduled to participate in the afternoon session, alongside partners including KPMG, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Lagos Business School, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and other institutions.

He said the conversations and partnerships emerging from the forum would help shape Nigeria’s economic direction in the years ahead.

Addressing business executives, regulators and policymakers in attendance, Aigbogun said they were gathered not simply to observe proceedings but to contribute ideas that would influence the country’s future.

“The questions you raise, the partnerships you form and the ideas you take back from today’s sessions will, in many ways, help shape the future of our nation,” he said.

Reaffirming BusinessDay’s editorial mission, Aigbogun said the publication remained committed to reporting Nigeria’s economic story with “rigor, independence, and optimism.”

“Our commitment is not born out of uncritical optimism, but rather grounded in the belief that Nigeria’s fundamentals and its people deserve better than we have often settled for,” he said.