Capital Market Registrars Urged To Embrace Innovation, Efficiency

The outgoing president and chairman of the Institute of Capital Market Registrars (ICMR), Oluseyi Owoturo, has urged registrars to embrace innovation and efficiency in service delivery to strengthen trust and deepen participation in Nigeria’s capital market.

Owoturo stated this at the 14th Annual Conference and Presidential Investiture of the Institute held at the weekend in Lagos. The event, themed ‘Unlocking Global Value: The Evolving Role of Capital Market Registrars in Trust, Efficiency and Innovation’, also featured the investiture of Mrs. Catherine Nwosu as the fourth president and chairman of Council of the Institute.

The event brought together top regulators and industry leaders, including representatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), BUA Group, Dangote Industries, Heirs Holdings, and other key market operators.

Owoturo, also the chief executive officer of Coronation Registrar Limited, said the forum was designed to explore how registrars can transform their operations through technology and forward-thinking strategies to meet the demands of the future.

He said the conference theme reflected the need for registrars to evolve from traditional record-keepers to strategic partners shaping the future of the capital market.

According to him, the role of registrars now extends to fostering transparency, enhancing investor engagement, and supporting the growth of a resilient and sustainable market.

He added that the Institute remains committed to building trust, advancing efficiency through digital innovations, and ensuring compliance with ethical and regulatory standards.

Representing the director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama, the executive commissioner (Operations), Bola Ajomale charged registrars to remain innovative and proactive, warning that unregulated players could take over their functions if the profession fails to evolve.

He assured participants that the SEC was ready to work with registrars and other stakeholders to revise frameworks, develop new rules, and expand opportunities to make the capital market a true catalyst for economic growth.

The group chairman of NGX Group, Dr Umaru Kwairanga, described registrars as ‘the quiet custodians of confidence and credibility’ whose accuracy and efficiency underpin investor trust and corporate governance.

He urged registrars to view themselves not as back-office operators but as strategic partners in capital formation, investor relations, and market development, saying the efficiency of registrars is inseparable from the efficiency of the capital market itself.

Founder and vice chairman of Emerging Africa Group, Dr Toyin Sanni, urged registrars to reposition themselves as trusted, tech-enabled partners in the investment value chain.

She highlighted the major challenges facing registrars in cross-border transactions, including regulatory divergence, cybersecurity risks, and settlement complexities, calling for deeper investment in technology, blockchain adoption, and data-driven systems to strengthen efficiency and investor confidence.

In her acceptance speech, Nwosu pledged to consolidate the achievements of past leaders and advance key reforms that would strengthen the institute’s relevance and global standing.

“A key priority on our agenda is pursuing our charter statute, which will enshrine ICMR as a professional body of national and international recognition. We must also standardize our processes, embed global best practices, and leverage technology to deliver efficient and transparent services,” she said.