Nigeria’s Stock Market Value Hits N123tr
…Govt Targets 20 Million New Investors
By Patience Ikpeme
Nigeria’s capital market has witnessed a massive boom over the last two years, with the total value of the market jumping from N55 trillion in April 2024 to over N123.93 trillion today.
The Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama, shared these figures in Lagos during a meeting with financial experts. He explained that this 125 percent growth shows that people now have more trust in the Nigerian economy. He also pointed out that the market’s contribution to the nation’s wealth (GDP) has climbed from 13 percent to 33 percent in the same period.
While these big numbers are good news, Dr. Agama said that being big is not enough. He explained that for the market to truly work for the people, it must be “liquid”—meaning it must be easy for people to buy and sell their shares at any time without stress or delay.
“Since this administration came into being in April 2024, we have seen market capitalisation grow from about N55 trillion to over N123.93 trillion. Our contribution to GDP has moved from 13 per cent to 33 per cent. These are impressive figures, but they tell only part of the story,” the SEC boss said.
He noted that currently, most of the trading happens with only a few big companies, leaving the rest of the market a bit quiet. To fix this, the SEC is setting up a special team of experts to find ways to make trading faster and cheaper for everyone.
One of the biggest goals of this new plan is to bring 20 million more Nigerians into the investment world. The SEC plans to do this by using mobile apps and digital platforms, making it easy for ordinary people to buy shares from their phones. They also want to move away from old paper share certificates and work with financial technology (fintech) companies to reach more people.
Dr. Agama said that investing in the stock market is a serious way to build the nation, not a game of luck.
“The capital market is not gambling; it is the engine of national development. It finances roads, powers factories and creates jobs,” he said.
The SEC chief also mentioned that new laws passed in 2025 now allow the commission to look into digital assets. This is to make sure that young people who are interested in new types of digital investments are protected and that their money goes into things that actually help the country grow.
The leader of the new expert group and Group CEO of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), Mr. Temi Popoola, thanked the SEC for the opportunity to help. He promised that his team would work hard to find the problems holding the market back and come up with real solutions to make the market stronger and more reliable for every Nigerian investor.
