Formalisation of commodities exchanges, warehouses will unlock $500bn revenue — SEC DG

By Matthew Denis 

The Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr Emomotimi Agama, has said that formalising commodities and warehouse receipts into tradeable securities could unlock economic gains of up to $500 billion for Nigeria.

Dr Agama made this assertion while addressing participants at a national workshop organised by the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers in Abuja on Tuesday.

He explained that transforming commodities and warehouse receipts into structured, tradeable assets would diversify the economy away from overdependence on the oil and gas industry and significantly enhance wealth creation nationwide.

Agama noted that the recently enacted Investments and Securities Act 2025 grants the SEC enhanced authority to drive growth in the capital market.

“The Act sharpens the SEC’s regulatory focus, ensuring it operates with the precision and authority required to steward a rapidly expanding market,” he said.

He continued: “Today, I speak not just about the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2025 as a legislative milestone, but as a strategic blueprint to propel Nigeria into the league of top global economies.

“This Act is not merely an update; it is a revolution. It dismantles legacy constraints, embeds global best practices and positions our market as the engine room for national prosperity.

“The question before us is no longer if Nigeria can achieve a $1 trillion economy, but how soon, and the capital market, under this new Act, will be the accelerant.”

Dr Agama further underlined that the Commission “now has explicit powers to shut down Ponzi schemes and prosecute offenders, ending the era of get-rich-quick scams that erode market confidence.”

He also disclosed that “investors are now covered for losses from revoked dealer licences, a long-awaited safeguard that will boost participation. Trust is the currency of our capital markets. Without it, liquidity dries up,” he concluded.