Nigeria's SEC: Data, AI, and Technology Will Drive Investment Decisions

By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

Emomotimi Agama, the Director‑General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said that Nigeria’s capital market is positioning data, artificial intelligence and technology‑driven regulation at the centre of investment decision‑making to attract both domestic and foreign capital.

In a statement released yesterday, the Commission quoted Agama, who spoke at the FSDH Investor Conference 2026 in Lagos, as explaining that the future of investing will be defined by the quality of intelligence and data available to investors rather than the volume of capital they control.

He added that the era of “intelligent investing” has already arrived, driven by artificial intelligence, real‑time analytics, distributed ledger technology and algorithmic systems that are reshaping how investments are priced, allocated and protected worldwide.

Agama stated: “We are at the threshold of what scholars and practitioners are calling the era of intelligent investing — a paradigm in which data does not merely inform decisions, but actively participates in them.”

He noted that the SEC has launched what he described as the most comprehensive regulatory reform agenda in its history to keep Nigeria competitive in the evolving global investment environment.

The reforms aim to create a forward‑looking market structure that supports intelligent investing through faster settlement systems, tokenised securities and deeper derivatives markets.

Agama added, “We are developing AI governance frameworks for capital market participants — frameworks that demand explainability, accountability and algorithmic fairness. An investor in Nigeria deserves to know not only what decisions were made on their behalf, but how those decisions were reached.”

He emphasized that intelligent investing must be inclusive and accessible to ordinary Nigerians, noting that the SEC’s fintech‑bank integration strategy targets about 20 million retail investors across the country.

Agama said that technology and data‑driven investing tools could democratise access to wealth‑creation opportunities for small businesses, artisans and low‑income earners who have previously been excluded from formal investment systems.

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