The Securities and Exchange Commission has directed all capital market operators to renew their registration between January 1 and January 31, 2026.
The Commission also announced plans to commence electronic receipt and processing of applications for registration and updates of registration information in the first quarter of 2026, as part of efforts to streamline regulatory procedures.
The Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Dr Emomotimi Agama, disclosed this during an interview in Abuja at the weekend.
Agama explained that the initiatives are aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and speed in regulatory processes through increased use of technology.
According to him, “These initiatives reflect our commitment to leveraging technology for faster, more transparent, and efficient regulatory processes. The Commission is taking deliberate steps to make regulatory processes faster, more transparent, and technology-driven. We are investing in automation, database supervision, and secure infrastructure to improve how we interact with the market.”
The SEC Director General stated that the Commission, through its Digital Transformation Portal, has fully automated registration and licensing processes from start to finish, allowing operators to submit applications, upload required documents and track approvals online, thereby reducing manual processing time and limiting the need for physical visits.
He further disclosed that the Commission has deployed a Commercial Paper issuance module, which enables operators to submit documents, monitor application progress and receive approvals electronically, adding that feedback from early users has indicated a noticeable improvement in turnaround time.
Agama also revealed that further automation initiatives are underway, particularly in the area of regulatory filings. “Work is ongoing to automate quarterly and annual returns submissions, with structured templates and system checks to ensure accuracy. A returns analytics dashboard is also in development to support risk based supervision and exception reporting.”
He added that the Commission has begun upgrading its information technology infrastructure to support the digital reforms. “To back these changes, we have started upgrading our IT infrastructure, servers, storage, networks, and security layers, to boost speed and reliability. Selective cloud migration is underway for platforms that need scalability and external access, while core internal systems remain on premise for now as we assess security and cost implications.”
