Commodities Exchanges, Warehouses Can Unlock $500bn – SEC

The director general, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Emomotimi Agama, has opined that by formalising commodities and warehouse receipts, the capital market can unlock $500 billion in dormant agricultural and mineral assets.

The DG made the remarks at a national workshop of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers in Abuja on Tuesday, according to a statement that was issued by the commission. He said the move would transform them into tradeable securities.

Agama explained that the Investments and Securities Act 2025 had empowered the SEC to take decisive actions to promote the sector.

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

He added: “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”.

The SEC DG stressed 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.

“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”.