The Securities and Exchange Commission has directed all Capital Market Operators to declare their compliance status and ensure that every tradable instrument under their management is fully registered in line with the Investments and Securities Act 2025 by January 2026.
The Director-General of SEC, Emomotimi Agama, issued the directive on Wednesday at the Commission’s Journalists’ Academy 2025 held in Lagos. The event had the theme: “The ISA 2025 and the Future of Nigeria’s Capital Market: Innovation, Protection and Growth.”
Agama, represented by the Commissioner of Operations, Bola Ajomale, said the new Act provides a stronger regulatory foundation for Nigeria’s capital market and places clear responsibilities on operators to align with updated standards.
He said anyone offering a tradable instrument must register with the Commission and complete the required process within the stipulated period.
“If we get this right, ISA 2025 will serve as the powerful foundation for the capital market Nigeria needs and deserves: deep, efficient, innovative and globally competitive. The ISA 2025 is more than a replacement for the 2007 Act. It is a forward-looking instrument designed to reposition Nigeria’s capital market for a rapidly changing world,” he said.
According to him, the Act strengthens investor protection, empowers market operators and enhances the SEC’s ability to ensure transparent and fair market practices.
Agama noted that the reform became necessary due to the rise of digital trading and fintech, adding that the ISA 2025 aligns Nigeria’s capital market regulation with global best practices while addressing local challenges and systemic risks.
