The Director General of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama, has revealed that Nigeria’s capital market could unlock up to $500 billion in dormant agricultural and mineral assets through the formalisation of commodities and warehouse receipts, positioning the country on a clear path towards wealth creation and sustainable economic diversification.

Speaking yesterday at the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) National Workshop held in Abuja, Agama said that integrating these underutilised resources into the formal financial system will convert them into tradeable securities, injecting substantial value into the economy while reducing overdependence on oil and gas revenues. “This is not simply about regulation—it is about transformation,” Agama declared.

“By unlocking dormant assets and turning them into productive capital, we have the potential to reshape Nigeria’s economic architecture and build lasting prosperity for generations to come.” The SEC boss emphasised that the recently enacted Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2025 grants the Commission sweeping powers to advance market reforms and enforce investor protections. According to him, the Act has retooled the SEC with “precision and authority” to oversee a fast-evolving capital market in line with international standards.

“The ISA 2025 is not merely a legislative update—it is a revolution,” Agama proclaimed. “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.”

Among the critical investor protections introduced in the Act is the explicit power granted to the SEC to dismantle fraudulent investment schemes and prosecute their operators. Agama said this development marks a definitive end to the reign of Ponzi schemes that have for years undermined investor confidence and market integrity.

“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 said. “Investors are now covered for losses from revoked dealer licenses—a long-awaited safeguard that will boost participation. Trust is the currency of our capital markets. Without it, liquidity dries up.”