Oscar Onyema: The engineer who became the doyen of capital markets

When top names in Nigeria’s economic and financial space are mentioned, Oscar Onyema is bound to be one of them. The reason for this is not just because he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange for the past 10 years. Before joining the Nigerian capital market, Onyema had spent over 20 years in the United States financial markets, managing market structure initiatives, products and securities exchange businesses. Clearly, he has been tested on different fronts.

Oscar N. Onyema was born on the 19th of August, 1968 to the family of His Royal Majesty Eze V. B. C. Onyema III, the Eze Onyema III of Ogwu-Ikpele, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State. After his secondary education, he applied for and was admitted into the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he bagged his bachelor degree in Computer Engineering. He went on to an MBA in Finance and Investments from Baruch College, New York City.

He participated in the Harvard Business School’s six weeks Advanced Management Program in 2015 and is active in the Security Traders Association of New York, and Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. Onyema has also obtained the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Series 7, 24, and 63 licenses.

In February 1992, Onyema resumed as a marketing executive at Data Processing Maintenance and Services (DPMS) Limited. After 3 years and some months, he moved to New York Mercantile Exchange as a Senior Analyst from July 1997 to January 2001. He worked on the American Stock Exchange as the Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer from January 2001 to October 2008, being the first person of colour to hold that position. Onyema worked as Senior Vice President at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Euronext (Amex) between October 2008 and June 2009. He managed NYSE Amex equity trading business and helped position it as a premier market for small and mid-cap securities.

In August 2009, Oscar Onyema founded Market Strategist LLC where he served as Principal Consultant for the next couple of years. He consulted under the Gerson Lehrman Group platform in the United States and successfully completed consultations enabling decision-makers at investment firms and corporations better understand products, services, companies, and issues in global financial markets. He resumed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in April 2011 and served for 10 years before stepping down recently after completing his tenure.

As CEO of the NSE, he launched a ‘Transformation Agenda’ to revamp the Exchange to become globally competitive. He implemented several innovations hinged on technology, product development and market infrastructure in Nigeria and across Africa; while driving stronger regulation and operational efficiencies market-wide.

Onyema is Chairman of two affiliate companies: Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), the clearing, settlement, and depository for the…