Project Abstract

Abstract
The capital market plays a crucial role in facilitating economic development by providing a platform for raising long-term funds for businesses and governments. This study aims to explore the significance of the capital market as a tool for economic development. It examines the various functions of the capital market, including facilitating the efficient allocation of resources, promoting liquidity and price discovery, and encouraging investment and innovation. By allowing companies to raise capital through the issuance of stocks and bonds, the capital market enables businesses to expand their operations, invest in new projects, and create job opportunities. This, in turn, stimulates economic growth and contributes to overall prosperity. Additionally, the capital market provides investors with opportunities to diversify their portfolios and earn returns on their investments, which helps in mobilizing savings and channeling them towards productive uses. Furthermore, the capital market plays a critical role in promoting corporate governance and transparency. Listed companies are required to adhere to stringent regulatory requirements and disclosure norms, which enhances investor confidence and reduces the risk of fraud and malpractice. This, in turn, attracts both domestic and foreign investors, leading to increased capital inflows and economic development. The capital market also serves as a barometer of the overall economic health of a country. Fluctuations in stock prices and bond yields reflect changing market sentiments and expectations about the future performance of the economy. By providing real-time information and feedback, the capital market helps policymakers make informed decisions and implement appropriate measures to foster economic growth and stability. Moreover, the capital market encourages innovation and entrepreneurship by providing access to risk capital for startups and emerging companies. Venture capitalists and angel investors play a crucial role in funding innovative ideas and technologies that have the potential to disrupt industries and drive economic progress. In conclusion, the capital market serves as a vital mechanism for economic development by mobilizing savings, allocating resources efficiently, promoting transparency and corporate governance, and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. Policymakers and stakeholders must continue to prioritize the development and regulation of the capital market to ensure sustainable economic growth and prosperity.

Project Overview

The research work is on the contribution of the Nigerian Capital Market to the nations economic development and growth.

The research is aimed at the following:

a. To demonstrate that individuals and corporate participation in the Nigerian Capital market will help in no small measure in the channelisation of long-term funds for investment purposes within the economy.

b. To demonstrate the fact that the Nigeria capital market is an economic institution with the sole aim of promoting efficiency and discipline in capital formation and allocation for an overall development and growth of the economy.

c. Seeks to demonstrate that with her better trained workforce via the acquisition of new skills and technology, the Nigerian capital market is listed in some other markets within Africa and is seriously reaching out to other parts of the world thus attracting foreign investors and injecting more funds into the system for productive purposes and economic growth.

d. While creating a paying ground capable of ensuring honesty, transparency and fairness for quality services that will enable more companies being listed for quotation on the exchange; this no doubt, will engender wider private sector participation and a boom to the economy.

e. To establish the fact that the Nigerian capital market stimulates industrial growth and development in Nigeria, and lastly to recommend steps based on the findings.

In the course of the study, the following findings among others were made.

(i) Following the Federal Government recent reforms in reshaping the economy into something better; especially in the financial and other sectors, such that banks and non-banking institutions now rush to the Nigerian Capital Market to shop for funds, thus boosting the market.

(ii) These reforms provided opportunities for the small companies to become quoted and have access to funds in the capital market.

(iii) It was discovered that with the introduction of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) and privatization exercise going on, the Nigerian Capital Market has facilitated the transfer of enterprises from the public to private sector for a better restructuring and management.

(iv) That internationalization of the Nigerian Capital Market has made possible substantial injections which pumped up the volume of economic activities within the country.

(v) That despite Government’s consistencies in her fiscal and monetary policies, Nigerian Capital Market has recorded a total of N2.96Trillion and growth rate of over 35% over the past 12 years.

In conducting the research, frequency tables, percentages and chi-square (X2) distributions were used as statistical tool.

In the end, summary, conclusion and recommendations were drawn.