President of the Capital Market Lecturers of Nigeria (CMAN), Uche Uwaleke, has mentioned the Securities and Trade Fee’s plan to draw 20 million new buyers in 2026 will solely be achievable by means of sturdy collaboration with fintech corporations and different market stakeholders.
Talking in an interview with the Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, Uwaleke acknowledged that whereas the goal is lifelike, it requires a coordinated ecosystem strategy involving regulators, exchanges, banks, universities, market operators, and know-how platforms to drive broad retail participation.
His feedback comply with the latest inauguration of a liquidity working group by the Securities and Trade Fee of Nigeria aimed toward increasing the investor base by no fewer than 20 million members.
What Uwaleke is saying
Based on him, scaling partnerships with fintech corporations will likely be crucial to enabling seamless onboarding, decreasing entry limitations, and offering real-time entry to market knowledge for retail buyers.
He added that product innovation tailor-made to small-ticket buyers, together with micro-investment choices, would additionally assist entice youthful and first-time members.
- “I additionally assume collaboration with fintech corporations must be scaled up to make sure seamless onboarding and real-time entry to market knowledge.
- “Belief is key. It’s a no-brainer that sturdy enforcement towards market infractions and improved company governance requirements will reinforce confidence and entice long-term participation.
- “If the 20 million goal is realised, the influence available on the market can be transformative,” he mentioned.
Uwaleke additional careworn the necessity for sustained monetary literacy programmes, noting that investor schooling campaigns should be institutionalised slightly than carried out on an advert hoc foundation.
He disclosed that the fee has already inaugurated a curriculum evaluate committee to advertise capital market research in Nigerian universities as a part of efforts to construct a pipeline of knowledgeable future buyers.
He emphasised that embedding capital market literacy inside tertiary schooling would create a sustainable basis for long-term participation, notably given Nigeria’s massive youth inhabitants and rising digital adoption.
Backstory
As a part of strikes to spice up liquidity out there, the SEC on Friday inaugurated a Capital Market Working Group on Market Liquidity with a mandate to draw as much as 20 million new buyers into Nigeria’s capital market utilizing technology-driven options.
SEC DG, Emomotimi Agama, inaugurated the Working Group on Friday in Abuja, noting that increasing investor participation is important to bettering market liquidity and resilience.
The DG added that regardless of sturdy progress in market capitalization, energetic participation stays restricted to a comparatively small phase of the inhabitants.
Based on him, a shallow investor base undermines the market’s skill to effectively allocate capital, as buying and selling exercise turns into concentrated amongst just a few institutional gamers and a slim group of retail buyers.
Extra insights
Uwaleke famous that Nigeria, with a inhabitants exceeding 200 million folks, at present has fewer than a million energetic capital market buyers, highlighting a big hole in comparison with markets similar to South Africa, which helps a deeper and extra liquid market regardless of a smaller inhabitants.
- Based on him, increasing the investor base would improve market liquidity, scale back volatility pushed by focus danger, enhance worth discovery, and improve turnover ratios.
- It will additionally make it simpler for corporations to boost long-term capital and strengthen the capital market’s contribution to financial progress.
- Uwaleke added that stronger retail participation alongside institutional funding may place Nigeria’s capital market as a serious driver of infrastructure financing, industrial enlargement, and job creation whereas bettering its competitiveness and resilience relative to see markets.
What it is best to know
The Nigerian equities market closed January 2026, the primary buying and selling month of the 12 months, on a powerful word, rising 6.27% as over 15 billion shares exchanged arms.
- Tracked by the All-Share Index, the market rose from 155,612.9 factors to 165,370.4, gaining 9,757.5 factors and decisively breaking above the 160,000-mark for the primary time.
- Thus far in February, the market has sustained its rally, pushing the market’s All-Share Index to cross the 190,000-mark for the primary time on February 17, 2026.
