THE INVESTMENTS AND SECURITIES ACT 2025

The Investments and Securities Act is the primary legislation governing Nigeria’s capital markets. It establishes the regulatory framework for investments and securities transactions, ensuring transparency, investor protection, and market integrity. Following the rise of digital assets, evolving market structures, and increasing concerns about investor protection, the need for a modernized regulatory framework became necessary. Almost two decades later, Nigeria signed a new Investment and Securities Act (ISA 2025) into law. The ISA 2025 repeals and replaces the ISA No. 29 of 2007 to modernize Nigeria’s capital-market regulation. While preserving core objectives in investor protection, fair and transparent markets, systemic-risk reduction, the 2025 Act significantly broadens the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SECs) remit, reflecting new market realities (digital assets, commodities exchanges, derivatives), deepens corporate-governance and sustainability requirements, and enhances enforcement powers (i.e. asset freezes, data-access, confiscation wallets).