Stories By NKIRUKA NNOROM

Lead Capital Plc has said it will leverage the newly introduced online stocks trading platform, LeadTrader, to capture the 35 million Nigerians that are not yet active in the stock market.

Mr. Wale Adewumui, a Director in Lead Capital Plc, made the statement at the LeadTrader Product Demonstration press briefing in Lagos, saying that presently only five million investors participate actively in the Nigerian capital market, but opportunity exists for 40 million, adding that LeadTrader will be used to bridge that divide of 35 million gaps.

LeadTrader was launched early this month by Lead Securities & Investment Limited, the stockbroking arm of Lead Capital Plc.

Additionally, he stated that the online trading platform will improve transparency in stocks trading, as well as provide efficient price discovery in the market.

He noted that the platform will also eliminate the age long rancour that arise in the process of share transaction between stockbrokers and investors as it will transfer control for shares to be bought and sold completely to the investor.

“It is our own contribution to the growth of the Nigerian capital market, in extension the Nigerian economy. We want to use this to develop the retail market for investors and also make share transactions convenient, fast and more transparent,” he said; adding “We hope that in the next few years, our GDP will grow in terms of size as a result of this.”

He explained that Lead Securities will soon commence a massive roll out across other parts of the country, including Abuja and Port-Harcourt.

Speaking while doing the product demonstration, Mr. Dolapo Ashiru, Head, Stockbrokerage Services, Lead Capital Plc, said that of two stockbroking firms that have unveiled online trading platform for stocks trading, Leadrader offers investors privilege of viewing the NSE’s real time market data, thereby enabling accurate order instruction.

He stated that LeadTrader provides investors the comfort and convenience of executing their trading online via a range of devices such as desktop, laptops, tablets and other mobile devices, adding that in the next few weeks, clients can trade via other mobile apps.

Ashiru emphasised that orders submitted via LeadTrader pass through a FIX compatible Order Management System, OMS, where appropriate compliance checks are in place to prevent erroneous orders going into the NSE’s trading engine.

LeadTrader is integrated with the payment switch that allows investors to add funds to their brokerage account using Credit/Debit cards.

In addition, LeadTrader provides real-time market (bid/offer prices and volume) for informed real time trading decisions.

He, therefore, enjoined investors that are concerned about their trades being executed with precision at any time to embrace the platform adding, “This has been made possible with the enabling technology put in place by the Nigerian Stock Exchange and our technology partners, working together to build a securities market that will match the very best in the world.”

Ashiru enjoined existing and prospective investors to sign up to the platform using www.leadtraderng.com, expressing optimism that embracing the trading portal would enable them to have firm hold control of their portfolio.