Nigeria’s capital market regulator is preparing for a future shaped by artificial intelligence, data and digital finance as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pushes new reforms around intelligent investing.
According to the Director-General of the SEC, Dr. Emomotimi Agama, technology-driven investing is no longer a future concept but a reality already changing global financial markets. Agama said at the FSDH Investor Conference 2026 in Lagos that investors would rely more on data quality and real-time intelligence than on big capital only.
He said Nigeria’s capital market reform now is being built around that changing reality. “We are on the cusp of what researchers and practitioners are calling the era of intelligent investing – a paradigm where data doesn’t just inform decisions, but actively participates in them,” he said.
The SEC said artificial intelligence, algorithmic systems, blockchain technology and real-time analytics are already transforming the way investments are priced and protected around the world. The new direction involves faster T+1 settlement cycles, regulation of digital assets and a framework for tokenised securities.
SEC advances AI-driven capital market reforms
Agama said the SEC was also working on governance standards of artificial intelligence within Nigeria’s capital market. The framework would focus on transparency, accountability and fairness in automated investment systems, he said.
Investors deserve better clarity about the way investment decisions are being made on their behalf,” he said. An investor in Nigeria, Agama said, is entitled to know not only the decisions taken on his behalf but also the process by which the decisions were taken. The SEC’s broader fintech integration plan is projected to touch almost 20 million retail investors nationally.
The commission believes that smart investing could also help to open up the capital market to more Nigerians who had not had access to formal investment opportunities before. The reforms are meant to encourage more financial inclusion and to help small businesses, artisans and the lower income earners, Agama said.
Greater emphasis on investor protection
Beyond technology upgrades, investor protection remains at the core of its reform plans, the SEC said. The commission is strengthening enforcement systems while expanding financial literacy programmes for Nigerians. “Confidence is the most valuable asset in a capital market. “Every forced disclosure, every fraud we prosecute, every investor we educate adds to the stock of confidence in the market.
He also pointed to Nigeria’s increasing role in African digital finance and regional capital market integration, which could draw long-term investment into infrastructure and other critical sectors.
The SEC said regulators, banks, fintech firms and investors need to collaborate more closely to develop a more resilient and tech-driven market system.
The commission said the long-term goal is to create a modern capital market that can enable faster settlements, tokenised investments and deeper funding opportunities for Nigeria’s economy.
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