Title: Capital market development in an emerging economy and the challenge of fostering foreign participation

Authors: Samson E. Edo

Addresses: Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Benin, Benin City, PMB 1154, Nigeria

Abstract: This paper investigates the contribution of foreign investors to capital market development in an emerging economy. The findings reveal that Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) as well as foreign issue of securities (FS) made insignificant contribution to development of the market compared to other contending factors such as domestic securities investment (DSI) and domestic issue of securities (DS). This appears to constitute a policy challenge, considering the enormous gain that would accrue to the economy from increasing foreign participation in the market. The challenge could be surmounted by liberalising investment laws, offering fiscal incentives, and strengthening surveillance of the market to enhance efficiency.

Keywords: capital markets; emerging economies; market development; foreign participation; foreign investors; foreign portfolio investment; domestic securities investment; economic policies; liberalisation; investment laws; fiscal incentives; market surveillance; enhanced efficiency; Nigeria; monetary economics; finance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMEF.2011.039329

International Journal of Monetary Economics and Finance, 2011 Vol.4 No.2, pp.195 - 215

Published online: 31 Mar 2011 *

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