Nigeria, April 6 -- When Yemi Cardoso, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, stepped out to take his seat on the stage for a conversation at The Peninsula, London, on a sunny but cold Tuesday afternoon on 17 March, the room already sensed the weight of the moment.

The Africa Capital Forum, held on the sidelines of President Bola Tinubu's recent historic state visit to the United Kingdom, had drawn bankers, global investors, diaspora fund managers, and development finance experts.

Jointly hosted by the CBN and UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in partnership with several Nigerian banks and international financial institutions, the event carried a clear theme: "Moving Nigeria from economic stabilisation to capital mobil...