By Daniel Peters

The Federal Government has called on capital market operators in the country to deepen investor confidence, improve financial literacy and prepare for the implementation of ISA 2025 and a new Capital Market Master Plan (CMMP 2030)

The Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, made the call at the 2025 First Capital Market Committee (CMC) Meeting hosted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Lagos.

Represented by the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, Mr Edun underscored the strategic role of Nigeria’s capital market in achieving the Federal Government’s ambition of transitioning into a $1 trillion economy within the next decade.

He emphasised that the capital market must become the primary engine for mobilising long-term finance across critical sectors such as infrastructure, housing, manufacturing, technology, and energy.

“This vision is overdue. Nigeria had the potential to reach this milestone 20 years ago, with the reforms we’ve undertaken, including fuel subsidy removal, FX harmonisation, and tightening of the fiscal framework, the foundation is now set for private capital to power growth”.

The Minister commended the passage of the Investment and Securities Act 2025, describing it as a landmark reform that modernises Nigeria’s regulatory environment to reflect global best practices.

Highlighting the challenges of capital absorption and exit pathways, Mr Edun stressed the need for robust frameworks to ensure that foreign and domestic capital can not only be attracted but also exited seamlessly.

“The real question we must ask is: If a billion-dollar investment enters this market, do we have the structure for it to exit smoothly? Until we can answer that, we can’t claim the market is truly ready”.

He called on market participants to go beyond capital raising and position the market as a genuine tool for wealth creation and inclusive development, while also advocating for the establishment of a Market Literacy Fund that is committed to supporting the SEC’s open-door policy.

The Minister challenged stakeholders to catalyse a transparent and predictable investment environment and also encouraged stakeholders to rise to the occasion.

“We’ve done the reforms. The time has come to implement. Let us build a rule-based, resilient market that unlocks growth for all Nigerians”, he emphasized.

Speaking earlier, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama, lauded the enactment of the ISA 2025 and outlined the Commission’s commitment to investor protection, digital innovation, and capital mobilisation.

He highlighted a strong 2024 performance across asset classes, with the NGX All-Share Index gaining 37.65%, market capitalisation surpassing ₦62 trillion, and debt markets recording ₦460.55 trillion in turnover.

Notably, he confirmed the SEC’s ongoing collaboration with other agencies to streamline recapitalisation, deepen SME access to markets, and enhance transparency through technology upgrades.

Dr. Agama reiterated SEC’s readiness to implement the ISA 2025, unveil the 2030 CMMP, and support Nigeria’s exit from the FATF grey list through strengthened AML/CFT compliance and market integrity reforms.

The 2025 CMC Meeting brought together a wide array of stakeholders across the financial ecosystem, including representatives from NGX, NASD, FMDQ, AFEX, CSCS, LCFE, NG Clearing, PCX, and GCMX, as well as public sector institutions such as the CBN, DMO, FIRS and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

The meeting also marked the official launch of the new SEC corporate website and the ISA 2025 Handbook.

With the Federal Government’s renewed focus on capital market development and the implementation of the ISA 2025 and CMMP 2030, Nigeria’s financial sector is poised for significant growth and transformation.

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