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Investors can now subscribe to public offers through WhatsApp, following the integration of the messaging platform into the Nigerian Exchange Group’s (NGX Group) NGX Invest platform.
Under the new arrangement, investors can initiate subscriptions by sending “Invest” to NGX Invest on WhatsApp at +234 812 731 9521. They will then be guided through the process of viewing eligible offers and completing their applications without downloading a separate application.
NGX stated, “The development forms part of Group’s broader strategy to use technology, partnerships and open distribution infrastructure to widen participation in Nigeria’s capital market.
By integrating WhatsApp into NGX Invest, NGX Group is reducing friction in the investment process and bringing primary-market opportunities closer to investors through a platform they already use every day. For issuers, the integration provides an additional route to reach a broader pool of potential investors and support more efficient capital raising.”
The development gives investors another channel through which they can participate in public offers, while retaining the involvement of stockbrokers in the subscription process. Investors are required to select a stockbroker through whom their applications will be processed.
The WhatsApp channel is part of NGX Invest’s distribution network, which is connected to more than 100 channels, including stockbrokers, banks, fintech companies, mobile operators and other financial institutions through application programming interface (API) connectivity.
The development comes as digital channels become increasingly integrated into the distribution of capital-market products, with NGX Invest serving as the electronic platform for public offers, rights issues and initial public offerings.
Since its launch in 2024, NGX Invest has facilitated more than 23 primary-market transactions and supported over N3 trillion in capital raising, according to NGX Group. Through its API connections, the platform allows public offers to be distributed through stockbrokers, banks, fintech platforms, mobile operators and other financial institutions, widening the channels through which investors can access such offers.
Under the new WhatsApp process, however, the messaging platform serves as the interface for accessing the service, while the actual subscriptions are processed through NGX Invest’s regulated infrastructure.
NGX also warned investors to “use only the official NGX Invest WhatsApp number and not disclose passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs), one-time passwords (OTPs) or other sensitive credentials to third parties.” The WhatsApp channel therefore does not replace the existing stockbroker-based process, as investors will still be required to select a broker to process their applications.
