West Africa has become a region to be reckoned with in terms of economic renaissance on the African continent. With Nigeria becoming Africa’s largest economy and its pension assets estimated to reach N11.1trillion by 2016, Nigeria is the preferred investment destination on the continent.  But the West African region lags behind in the areas of leadership, innovative strategies and systems to help drive its economy.

In Lagos Nigeria from the 5th to 6th June 2014, key policy players in the financial sector will converge for a two-day event to be held in Eko Hotel. The event, Finance Week West Africa with the theme: Leadership, innovation, strategy and systems for all financial professionals, according to the organisers; Montgomery West Africa,  is a platform to empower and connect financial leaders across West Africa on key issues driving the region’s economy including matters on mobile money.

“This leading conference will discuss strategy, innovation and share knowledge on best practices where new technologies can be evaluated and new age business intelligence strategies explored to attract investment”, the organisers said.

It is also an avenue to discuss opportunities and address the issue of how the financial sector can remain a catalyst for the sustainable growth of the economy by bringing together policymakers, regulators, bankers, their top customers, major international investors and reputable financiers.

“The Finance Week West Africa is the driving force for financial leadership and innovation in business in Nigeria and beyond. It is said that top class features and focus on relevant and important topics such as, mobile money, risks, financial strategy, pensions and women in leadership can be anticipated”.

Wuraola Abiola, Management Transformation Company, speaking for the organisers  said that the heart of the financial sector is for the clients to be well informed which is the reason for the Finance Week West Africa. “It is an avenue for regulators and operators to come together to not just discuss what they’re going through but to see areas where they can improve across the value chain”, she said. She added that the conference would have a decent representation of the banking sector.

Also speaking at the press conference, the Chairman Investments and Securities Tribunal, Dr Ngozi Chianakwalam, said that the tribunal was set up in 2002 to comprehensively review the operations of the Nigeria Capital Market. The tribunal adjudicates on all disputes arising from securities, and the capital market and has handled cases with net value of well over N351.9billion in claims arising from about 500 cases handled.

Other speakers will include the Deputy Governor of the CBN, Sarah Alade, Bismark Rewane of Financial Derivatives, Dipo Fatokun, Director, Banking and payments department, CBN etcetera.