The Securities and Exchange Commission has directed all capital market operators in Nigeria to renew their registration between January 1 and January 31, 2026.
The directive was disclosed by the Director General of the commission, Dr Emomotimi Agama, during an interview in Abuja at the weekend.
Agama said the move is part of broader reforms aimed at improving efficiency and transparency in the Nigerian capital market.
He also revealed that the commission will begin full electronic receipt and processing of applications for registration and updates of registration details in the first quarter of 2026.
According to him, the new approach is designed to reduce delays, limit physical visits to the commission, and make regulatory processes easier for operators.
“These initiatives reflect our commitment to leveraging technology for faster, more transparent, and efficient regulatory processes,” Agama said.
He added, “The Commission is taking deliberate steps to make regulatory processes faster, more transparent, and technology-driven. We are investing in automation, database supervision, and secure infrastructure to improve how we interact with the market.”
Agama explained that through the SEC Digital Transformation Portal, registration and licensing have now been fully automated, allowing operators to submit applications, upload documents and monitor approval status online.
He said the commission has also introduced an electronic Commercial Paper issuance module, which enables operators to file documents, track progress and receive approvals digitally.
“Feedback from early users shows a clear improvement in turnaround time,” he said.
The SEC boss further disclosed that work is ongoing to automate quarterly and annual returns submissions, with structured templates and built-in system checks to improve accuracy.
He noted that a returns analytics dashboard is also being developed to support risk-based supervision and exception reporting.
“To back these changes, we have started upgrading our IT infrastructure, servers, storage, networks, and security layers to boost speed and reliability,” Agama said.
He added that selective cloud migration has begun for platforms that require scalability and external access, while core internal systems will remain in-house for now as the commission reviews security and cost concerns.
The SEC said the reforms are expected to improve regulatory oversight and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s capital market.
