‘Formalising Commodities Can Unlock $500bn In Agricultural, Mineral Assets’

The director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama, said Nigeria could unlock up to $500 billion in dormant agricultural and mineral assets by formalising its commodities and warehouse receipt systems.
Speaking at a national workshop organised by the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) in Abuja, Agama said the formalisation process would transform untapped resources into tradeable financial instruments, enabling Nigeria to diversify from its overreliance on oil and gas revenues.
“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,” Agama said.
He described the newly- signed Investments and Securities Act, 2025, as a regulatory game-changer that grants the Commission the authority to take decisive steps in growing and supervising Nigeria’s commodities market.
“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,” he said.
Agama argued that the transformation of Nigeria’s commodity assets into tradeable securities would significantly boost national wealth and economic resilience. “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,” he added.
He also highlighted new provisions in the Act that empower the SEC to shut down Ponzi schemes and prosecute promoters of illicit investment platforms. According to him, investor confidence would be further reinforced by the Act’s provision for compensation in cases of losses arising from revoked dealer licenses.
“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,” Agama said.
President Bola Tinubu signed the Investments and Securities Act 2025 into law on March 29, giving the SEC expanded regulatory oversight and enforcement authority across Nigeria’s capital markets.