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LEADERSHIP IMPACT: TRANSFORMING NIGERIA’S APEX CAPITAL MARKET REGULATOR.
Since assuming office as the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria, Dr. Emomotimi John Agama has brought visionary, reform-driven, and transformational leadership to the nation’s apex capital market regulator. His leadership philosophy is anchored on integrity, innovation, transparency, investor protection, market inclusiveness, and regulatory excellence.
As the chief regulator of Nigeria’s capital market, Dr. Agama has reaffirmed the Commission’s strategic role as the guardian of market integrity and the principal institution responsible for ensuring that the capital market remains a reliable engine for economic growth, wealth creation, and sustainable national development. Under his stewardship, the SEC has continued to strengthen its reputation as a progressive and proactive regulatory institution, fostering confidence among domestic and international investors.
One of his most significant achievements has been his unwavering commitment to restoring and strengthening investor confidence. Recognising that confidence is the lifeblood of every successful capital market, he has championed reforms that promote transparency, accountability, corporate governance, and strict compliance with securities laws. Through enhanced market surveillance, robust enforcement mechanisms, and proactive stakeholder engagement, the Commission has intensified its efforts to safeguard investors against fraud, market abuse, insider dealing, and unethical practices.
Dr. Agama has also positioned innovation at the heart of the Commission’s regulatory agenda. Appreciating the rapid transformation of global finance, he has led efforts to establish progressive regulatory frameworks for financial technology (FinTech), digital assets, virtual asset service providers, crowdfunding, blockchain technology, and other emerging financial innovations. His approach reflects a careful balance between encouraging innovation and maintaining market integrity, financial stability, and investor protection.
His leadership has equally focused on deepening Nigeria’s capital market by broadening investment opportunities and expanding access to long-term finance. Through initiatives that promote the growth of the commodities market, derivatives market, infrastructure finance, green finance, Islamic finance, private equity, venture capital, and collective investment schemes, he is laying the foundation for a more diversified, resilient, and globally competitive capital market.
Dr. Agama has consistently advocated for the capital market to become the preferred platform for financing Nigeria’s development aspirations. He has encouraged governments at all levels, development finance institutions, and private enterprises to leverage the capital market as a sustainable source of long-term funding for infrastructure, housing, energy, transportation, agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, and industrial expansion.
A passionate advocate of investor education and financial literacy, Dr. Agama believes that an informed investor is the strongest defence against financial fraud and poor investment decisions. Under his leadership, the Commission has intensified nationwide investor education programmes aimed at improving financial inclusion, expanding retail investor participation, and empowering Nigerians with the knowledge required to make informed investment decisions.
On the international stage, Dr. Agama has continued to strengthen Nigeria’s reputation within the global financial community. Through active engagement with international regulatory organisations, multilateral financial institutions, foreign investors, and development partners, he has projected Nigeria as an investment destination committed to global best practices, regulatory excellence, transparency, and market integrity. His leadership has further aligned Nigeria’s capital market with internationally accepted principles of securities regulation, enhancing its competitiveness within Africa and the global financial ecosystem.
Internally, Dr. Agama has fostered a culture of professionalism, teamwork, innovation, accountability, and continuous capacity development. By investing in human capital and institutional efficiency, he has strengthened the Commission’s capacity to respond proactively to emerging market risks, technological disruption, and the evolving dynamics of the global financial system.
His collaborative leadership style has strengthened strategic partnerships with the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Exchange Group, the Investments and Securities Tribunal, self-regulatory organisations, market operators, institutional investors, international development partners, and other critical stakeholders. These partnerships continue to build a stable, efficient, transparent, and innovative financial ecosystem capable of supporting Nigeria’s long-term economic transformation.
Beyond regulation, Dr. Agama sees the Nigerian capital market as a strategic instrument for accelerating economic diversification, reducing dependence on oil revenues, mobilising domestic savings, supporting entrepreneurship, creating employment opportunities, and positioning Nigeria as one of Africa’s leading investment destinations.
His administration is also spearheading the implementation of the Investments and Securities Act, 2025, which provides a modern legal framework for regulating an increasingly sophisticated capital market. The Act strengthens the Commission’s regulatory powers while enhancing investor protection, market transparency, and the development of innovative investment products and services.
Today, under Dr. Emomotimi Agama’s stewardship, the Securities and Exchange Commission continues to evolve as a forward-looking, technology-driven, and internationally respected regulator. His commitment to excellence, sound governance, innovation, and investor protection is reinforcing the Commission’s standing among Africa’s leading securities regulators and positioning Nigeria’s capital market to play an even greater role in driving inclusive economic growth, sustainable investment, and long-term national prosperity.
One of the landmark achievements of Dr. Agama’s administration has been the successful transition of the Nigerian capital market’s trade settlement cycle from T+3 to T+1. This reform represents a defining milestone in the modernisation of Nigeria’s securities market. By reducing the settlement period from three business days to one, the Securities and Exchange Commission has significantly improved market liquidity, enabling investors to access their funds more quickly, redeploy capital efficiently, and execute investment decisions with greater flexibility. More importantly, the transition aligns Nigeria’s capital market with international best practices, reduces settlement risk, enhances market efficiency, and further strengthens investor confidence in the integrity, transparency, and competitiveness of the Nigerian capital market.
Another defining reform under Dr. Agama’s leadership is the recapitalisation of capital market operators. Recognising the changing realities of the global financial landscape and the increasing complexity of market risks, he initiated a bold review of the minimum capital requirements for operators across the capital market. This strategic policy is designed to strengthen the financial resilience of market intermediaries, enhance their operational capacity, improve risk management, support technological advancement, and ensure that operators possess the financial strength required to meet the demands of a modern capital market. The recapitalisation programme is expected to create stronger institutions, reinforce investor confidence, and position the Nigerian capital market for sustainable long-term growth.
These landmark reforms underscore Dr. Agama’s commitment to building a capital market that is not only responsive to present-day realities but also well-positioned to meet future challenges. Through forward-looking policies that promote efficiency, resilience, innovation, and global competitiveness, he continues to position Nigeria’s capital market among Africa’s most dynamic and rapidly evolving financial markets.
Dr. Agama’s legacy is steadily being shaped not only by effective regulatory oversight but also by his vision of a transparent, resilient, innovative, and globally competitive Nigerian capital market. Through purposeful leadership, strategic reforms, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, he is laying the foundation for a capital market that can serve as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economic transformation and a benchmark for regulatory excellence across Africa.
— Alabo Diepiribo O. B. Briggs
Writes from Abuja.
By Emmanuel Kuza
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Abuga Ovie, has described the name Ombugadu as a political brand, saying the popularity and wide acceptance of the name have made David Emmanuel Ombugadu a major force in the state’s political landscape.
Ovie, who stated this in an interview on Tuesday, said what started as opposition from some of Ombugadu’s biological brothers and people he described as fathers and uncles who betrayed him for personal political interests had now assumed a wider dimension, with political parties allegedly joining the battle against him.
According to him, the latest development was an attempt to undermine the political value of the Ombugadu name by presenting another person with the same surname, describing it as an indication of how far some political actors were prepared to go to weaken the PDP governorship candidate.
“Ombugadu is a brand, not a title. The people are not fools. They know their own. You cannot simply bring another person bearing the same name and expect the people to forget the political identity that Ombugadu has built over the years,” he said.
He further alleged that a former governor was working to introduce a political associate who had served as Accountant-General of Nasarawa State into the political equation, with the alleged objective of destabilising the PDP and weakening its chances by ensuring that the party fields a less competitive candidate in 2027.
“The plan, as we understand it, is to destabilise the PDP and make sure the party presents a weak candidate, thereby creating an advantage for the former governor’s preferred candidate. But all those efforts have proved abortive because the national leadership of the PDP stood its ground and refused to lose its best bet for the 2027 governorship election,” Ovie said.
The PDP chieftain said the resolve of the national leadership to retain Ombugadu had demonstrated the confidence the party had in his capacity to win the governorship election, despite what he described as attempts by some political actors to frustrate his ambition.
Ovie urged political parties and their leaders to resolve their internal differences instead of concentrating their efforts on Ombugadu, whom he compared to David in the Bible, saying he remained focused despite betrayal and opposition from those close to him.
“Ombugadu is like David in the Bible. Even when his brothers forsook him, he remained focused. Today, despite the people who have betrayed him, he remains focused and has a blueprint that can rescue Nasarawa State,” he said.
He said political parties should concentrate on presenting their programmes and convincing voters about how they intend to address the challenges confronting the state rather than expending their energy on attempts to stop Ombugadu.
“Political parties should fix their problems instead of wasting their strength fighting Ombugadu. Let everybody bring their blueprint before the people and explain what they intend to do for Nasarawa State,” he said.
Ovie maintained that the 2027 election should be about ideas, competence and the future of Nasarawa State, rather than attempts to manipulate political structures or undermine individuals perceived to enjoy strong grassroots support.
He urged the people of the state, particularly the Eggon community, to remain politically vigilant and resist what he described as efforts to make them settle for less, insisting that voters would ultimately determine who enjoys their confidence at the polls.
Reduce repeated references to Ombugadu
By Israel Adamu, Jos
Two hundred widows from communities across Langtang North Central State Constituency of Plateau State have benefited from an empowerment outreach organised by Gimbiya Gani Nandir Lar under the Jagoran Talakawa movement.
The outreach, held at Pilgani in Langtang North Local Government Area, was aimed at supporting vulnerable women and drawing attention to the challenges faced by widows, particularly those struggling to provide food, pay school fees and meet other basic needs for their families.
The organiser, Nandir Lar, who is the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for Langtang North Central State Constituency, said the gesture was motivated by compassion and concern for vulnerable members of the society.
She stressed that the outreach was not a political programme but an expression of love and support for humanity.
Nandir Lar said: “The plight of widows may not always make headlines, but their struggles are real, painful and deserving of our collective attention.
“This is simply an expression of compassion and love for humanity. It is not a political programme.
“Our constituency is home to people with diverse needs, including mothers, widows and young people who are seeking opportunities to improve their lives.”
Former Provost of the Federal College of Education, Pankshin, Amos Chirfat, commended the initiative, saying it had brought smiles to the faces of vulnerable women in the constituency.
Minority Leader of the Langtang North Legislative Council, Dirya Sheni, also commended Nandir Lar for supporting widows and other vulnerable members of the community.
At the end of the outreach, each of the 200 beneficiaries received a 10-kilogramme bag of corn flour, seasoning and N10,000 cash
By Francis Wilfred
The Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), and the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) have expressed commitment to ensure a full compliance with the Anti Money Laundering/Counter Finance on Terrorism/Counter Proliferation Financing, (AML/CFT/CPF) laws within the Nigeria’s real estate sector.
They made the resolve during a stakeholders’ engagement held on Thursday, September 10, 2026
The engagement focused on Mutual Evaluation readiness, risk-based supervision, beneficial ownership transparency, customer due diligence, internal controls and stronger collaboration between SCUML and the real estate sector.
Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE 1 Ibinabo Amachree, speaking on behalf of SCUML highlighted the strategic role of real estate operators in protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system, particularly given the sector’s vulnerability to money laundering and other financial crime risks.
Amachree encouraged REDAN members to move beyond registration to ensure that compliance is embedded in their day-to-day operations. He mentioned the areas to include: understanding institutional risks, knowing customers and beneficial owners, identifying politically exposed persons, conducting appropriate sanctions screening, maintaining effective internal controls and meeting applicable reporting obligations
He, therefore, reaffirmed readiness to working closely with REDAN and other stakeholders to improve compliance, build capacity and promote a stronger culture of accountability across the real estate sector
“The message is clear: effective compliance is not just about meeting regulatory requirements; it is about protecting businesses, strengthening the real estate sector and safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system”, she said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of REDAN, Lagos state, Mr Tony Kolawole pledged readiness to partner with SCUML in ensuring compliance with AML/CFT/CPF in the real estate sector to uphold financial integrity.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for REDAN members to share practical regulatory and operational challenges affecting the sector, reinforcing the importance of continuous dialogue between regulators and industry stakeholders.
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