LAGOS, NIGERIA, January 07, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In a definitive move to stabilize and modernize the nation's financial landscape, Professor Tunbosayo Okekunle has answered a formal call from the Nigerian Economic Council to lead a new frontier of economic reform. Moving beyond the corridors of international academia and global finance, Okekunle's return signifies a strategic "brain gain" for Nigeria, aimed at institutionalizing market discipline and attracting sustainable capital. The launch of the Tunbosayo Okekunle Strategic Alpha Fund (TOSAF) serves as the primary instrument for this mission, signalling to global and local observers that Nigeria is transitioning from a frontier of high-risk speculation to a destination for sophisticated, long-term strategic investment.

I. The Genesis: An Institutional Invitation
The return of Tunbosayo Okekunle is not a routine commercial venture; it is a state-level engagement. Following extensive consultations with the Nigerian Economic Council, Professor Okekunle accepted the mandate to transplant global financial best practices into Nigerian soil. This invitation reflects a sophisticated understanding by the Nigerian government: that the country's economic hurdles are not merely due to a lack of liquidity, but a lack of structured, "patient" capital and the intellectual framework required to manage it. Okekunle's arrival marks the start of a systematic effort to repatriate the expertise of the Nigerian diaspora to solve domestic structural challenges.

II. Diagnosing the Market: Quality Over Quantity
In his initial assessment of the current financial climate, Professor Okekunle identifies a critical paradox: Nigeria is not suffering from a "capital desert," but rather a "discipline deficit." The market has been plagued by "hot money," which refers to short-term capital that enters and exits rapidly, causing erratic price swings and deterring serious institutional investors.

TOSAF is engineered specifically to counteract this trend. By focusing on long-term value and institutional-grade risk management, the fund serves as a stabilizing force. The objective is to move away from the "hit-and-run" investment culture that often characterizes emerging markets. Under Okekunle's leadership, TOSAF intends to demonstrate that consistent, moderate, and low-volatility returns are the bedrock of a healthy national exchange, eventually encouraging a shift in how both local and foreign entities perceive Nigerian assets.

III. The Educational Pillar: Financial Literacy as Infrastructure
The most distinctive element of Okekunle's strategy is the integration of the Okekunle Business School into the financial ecosystem. Okekunle argues that a capital market is only as strong as its participants. In Nigeria, where retail investors often drive significant market movement without adequate risk assessment tools, education becomes a form of "soft infrastructure."

The school offers free, comprehensive training designed to demystify complex financial instruments and instil a sense of psychological discipline. By educating the public on the "Strategic Alpha" logic, which focuses on risk-adjusted returns rather than overnight wealth, Okekunle is attempting to build a more resilient investor base. This grassroots approach ensures that the reforms are not just top-down policy changes, but a cultural shift in the nation's financial behaviour.

IV. Structural Upgrades and International Competitiveness
The goal of Professor Okekunle's mission is the total structural upgrade of the Nigerian securities market. This involves more than just fund management; it involves advocating for transparency, enhancing liquidity through smarter trade execution, and setting a benchmark for corporate governance.

By utilizing TOSAF as a model for institutional behaviour, Okekunle hopes to trigger a "halo effect." As the fund demonstrates success through a disciplined, research-heavy approach, other local funds and individual investors are expected to follow suit. This upward pressure on market standards is what Okekunle believes will eventually make Nigeria a peer to more established markets such as those in London, New York, and Hong Kong.

V. A Legacy-Driven Commitment
Professor Okekunle has been transparent about the timeline of this endeavour, emphasizing that the fruits of such structural labour may take years to fully ripen. He views TOSAF not as a "project" with an exit strategy, but as a permanent commitment to the Nigerian state. Success will not be measured by the fund's Assets Under Management (AUM) in the first twelve months, but by the measurable decrease in market volatility and the increase in the average holding period of Nigerian securities over the next decade. For Okekunle, this is a mission of legacy through ensuring that the next generation of Nigerian financiers inherits a market defined by rationality, trust, and global prestige.

Professor Tunbosayo Okekunle is a finance scholar and educator whose work connects market research, capital-market practice, and long-term investment discipline. Following formal engagement and an invitation from Nigeria's National Economic Council (NEC), he returned to Nigeria and initiated the Tunbosayo Okekunle Strategic Alpha Fund (TOSAF) as part of a broader effort to support capital-market reform and channel "Capital + Knowledge" back into the domestic market. Alongside TOSAF, he established the Okekunle Business School to provide free and structured investor education, helping retail participants strengthen risk awareness, improve decision discipline, and support healthier market participation over time.

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