Finance and economy experts at the weekend said the Federal Government could easily achieve its $1 trillion economy target through strategic capital formation and deepening of savings and investments across the broad spectrum of the economy.
Experts, who spoke at the 2025 yearly workshop of the Capital Market Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CAMCAN) in Lagos, agreed that disciplined implementation of the new Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2025 signed into law by President Bola Tinubu would drive the nation’s economic growth. The theme of the workshop was: “Regulatory Reforms: ISA 2025 and Nigeria’s Investment Climate”.
The experts included Group Managing Director, GTI Capital Group, Mr. Abubakar Lawal, Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Emomotimi Agama and Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group), Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga.
Lawal said strategic, disciplined and collaborative implementation of the ISA would be catalytic to the overall growth of the economy.
According to him, with the $1 trillion agenda in view, the ISA 2025 must transition from a policy document into a practical instrument for driving national economic growth.
Lawal, who was represented by Managing Director, GTI Capital, Mr. Kehinde Hassan, was the guest speaker at the workshop.
He explained that clarity, consistency and synergy among regulators, operators and market stakeholders are vital if the Act is to serve as the bedrock of Nigeria’s trillion-dollar ambition.
According to him, the country has reached a critical phase where fragmented efforts and isolated initiatives can no longer be accommodated.
He noted that the implementation of ISA 2025 must be aligned with the Revised Capital Market Master Plan to prevent policy dissonance and institutional overlap.
He said: “What Nigeria requires now is a unified roadmap, one that integrates ISA 2025 into the broader architecture of the nation’s economic vision”.
Lawal stressed that with disciplined execution, cross-institutional cooperation, sustained public education, and responsible innovation, Nigeria could not only meet but surpass its $1 trillion economic target while achieving long-term socio-economic benefits.
He added that coordinated action would position the country as a continental and global model for innovation-driven and inclusive growth.
He described the ISA 2025 as a transformational legislation that offers more than regulatory rules by providing structure, tools, and opportunities for national development.
He however cautioned that even the best-crafted laws remain ineffective without intentional follow-through.
He urged regulators to apply fairness and foresight, while operators embrace innovation anchored on responsibility.
Giving his keynote address, Agama said that the ISA 2025 was not only a replacement for the 2007 Act as it represented a comprehensive reform agenda designed to modernise regulatory environment, strengthen governance, attract investment, and reposition Nigeria’s capital market to meet the demands of a dynamic global economy.
Agama, who was represented by Lagos Head of the Commission, John Briggs noted that CAMCAN workshop theme suggests regulatory reforms play a defining role in shaping the nation’s investment climate, and ISA 2025 is central to that transformation.
According to him, operating under the ISA 2025 is aimed to align with International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) standards with the imperative to strengthen Nigeria’s investment climate by building a deeper, more resilient capital market.
“One of the most transformative aspects of the ISA 2025 is the clarity it brings to the mandate of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
He said: “For the first time, the Act explicitly sets out the regulatory objectives, functions, and powers of the Commission including acting in the public interest, protecting investors, maintaining fair and transparent markets, preventing unlawful practices, reducing systemic risks, and supporting capital formation”.
He noted that the major conceptual shift introduced by ISA 2025 is the transition from regulating only “Capital Market Operators” to supervising a wider class of “regulated entities.”
Part of which include: digital asset and virtual asset exchanges, warehouse operators and warehouse receipt systems, derivatives and commodities platforms and market infrastructure operators.
Kwairanga, who was the chairman of the workshop, said that the recent reforms encapsulated in the ISA 2025 were altogether a pivotal phase in strengthening market governance, boosting investor protection, and enhancing overall market competitiveness.
He said: “These reforms are not merely regulatory updates; they are foundational shifts designed to modernize our capital market architecture, attract deeper pools of capital, and position Nigeria as a top-tier investment destination within Africa and globally.
“As we navigate the complexities and opportunities presented by these reforms, your role as market media stakeholders becomes even more critical”.
He called on participants at the conference to maximize opportunities offered by ISA 2025 as regulators, operators, investors, and the media work in alignment.
He commended CAMCAN for its unwavering commitment to enriching capital market literacy and facilitating meaningful engagement among stakeholders.
“I am confident that the insights shared today will contribute significantly to strengthening Nigeria’s capital market and supporting sustainable economic growth,”Kwairanga added.
Lawal also underscored the need for widespread investor education to unlock the Act’s transformative potential. Awareness efforts, he said, must reach all regions to ensure that investors understand their rights, entrepreneurs recognise new opportunities, and the general public is aware of protections embedded in the new regulatory regime.
Highlighting key reforms within ISA 2025, he noted the recognition of digital and virtual assets, classification of investment contracts as securities, expansion of eligible issuers, establishment of specialised exchanges, broadening of non-interest instruments including sukuk, strengthening of commodities exchanges, and enhancement of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s regulatory powers.
He said these reforms collectively support the $1 trillion economic agenda and significantly enhance youth inclusion, especially through digital asset recognition.
With over 60 per cent of the population comprising young people, Lawal described Nigerian youths as digital natives whose creativity and technological fluency can drive the next phase of economic growth.
ISA 2025, he said, gives this demographic legitimacy and meaningful engagement within the financial system.
He concluded that if Nigeria executes the reform era with unity and determination, the nation would not only reinvent its economy but inspire the African continent, demonstrating what is possible when national ambition is matched with decisive action.
Agama pointed out that for the first time, the SEC has now been empowered to identify market-wide vulnerabilities; collaborate with other regulators during periods of financial stress; take pre-emptive action to prevent contagion; and ensure the stability of systemically important institutions.
For investors, he explained that the ISA 2025 signals a more resilient and predictable marke environment, one that is better able to withstand shocks.
According to him, the ISA 2025 addresses Ponzi schemes more decisively by giving the SEC power to seal prohibited schemes and impose criminal sanctions.
“These reforms protect retail investors, deepen the fund-management industry, and encourage genuine collective investment vehicles that can mobilise long-term capital.
“This is a strong boost to investor confidence and contributes meaningfully to improving Nigeria’s investment climate,” Agama said.
