EKSU to Graduate Pioneer Students of Securities Trading Diploma Programme in 2026
- Ekiti State University is preparing to graduate its first cohort of the E-FMTP securities trading diploma before the end of 2026
- The programme is anchored by a Trading Room described as the first financial dealing facility in any university across Sub-Saharan Africa
- EKSU Chancellor Dr Tunji Olowolafe and his foundation backed the initiative, which combines live simulations with a fully accredited diploma
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Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, is preparing to graduate the first set of students to complete its Professional Diploma Programme in Securities Trading and Financial Markets, known as the EKSU Financial Markets Training Program (E-FMTP), before the end of 2026.
Source: UGC
Professor Oke Michael Ojo of the Department of Finance confirmed the development, saying:
"The first cohort of the Diploma Programme will graduate before the end of the year." The University Senate approved the eight-month programme on February 25, 2026.
EKSU's First-of-Its-Kind Trading Room
Central to the programme is the EKSU Trading Room, established under the direction of the university's Chancellor, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, and funded by the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation (TOF). The facility, which receives technical support from the CFA Institute, is described as the first financial dealing and trading room set up in any university across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Legit.ng gathers that the room holds 20 trading stations, each equipped with dual monitors, a 75-inch smart television screen, an optimised sound system, solar inverter backup, three high-capacity air-conditioning units, and high-speed internet. Students wear professional trading vests to replicate the atmosphere of a live dealing room.
Professor Ojo said the Trading Room was built specifically to close the gap between what students learn in lecture halls and what the financial industry actually demands.
"We combined theoretical instruction with practical simulations so students gain a full, hands-on understanding of risk management, investment strategies, and live trading in global markets," he said.
Dr Olowolafe argued that conventional university education is failing finance graduates.
"A large percentage of recent graduates seeking finance roles lack the critical, practical skills demanded by modern capital markets," he said. His ambition for E-FMTP is to make the EKSU model a blueprint adopted by universities across Nigeria, turning classrooms into environments where students graduate ready to work on global trading desks.
Legit.ng notes that this development places EKSU in direct alignment with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on building a sustainable economy through improved financial literacy and investment education.
"If we can teach this [stock market] in the classroom to our undergraduates, we can build a nation of succession and prosperity," the President had stated when he hosted the leadership of the Nigerian Xchange Group (NGX) at the State House recently.
Roots of the Programme and What Comes Next
The initiative traces its origins to September 2024, when a group of EKSU students visited FMDQ Exchange in Victoria Island, Lagos, for a financial literacy programme. That trip led to the creation of the EKSU Investment Club (ICESU), which links students to CFA Institute resources, internships, exam scholarships, and investment conferences.
Ms Bomo Anthony, General Manager of TOF, reflected on the progress of the pioneer students.
"I've watched these students grow, week by week, from learning about shares and bonds to actually placing a trade," she said. "That's the moment it stops being a classroom exercise and starts being a career."
She added:
"What we're graduating isn't just a cohort — it's a group of young people who already think like professionals."
With the pioneer graduation approaching, TOF and EKSU have confirmed that applications for the next cohort will open at the start of the new academic year.
Source: UGC
Tinubu Tells Universities What to Prioritise
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that President Tinubu emphasised the importance of entrepreneurial training in universities, urging institutions to prepare graduates to become job creators rather than job seekers.
Tinubu said:
“I challenge our universities to continue to emphasise training in entrepreneurship so that these graduates can become job creators instead of perennial job seekers."
Source: Legit.ng
