Economy
SEC, Stakeholders Eye More Investments in N1.6trn Non-Interest Capital Market
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Efforts are being made to attract more investments into the Nigerian non-interest capital market believed to be valued at N1.6 trillion.
Championing this is the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and different stakeholders in the nation’s capital market.
Speaking on Monday during a joint press briefing in Abuja, the Director General of SEC, Mr Emomotimi Agama, said steps are being taken to unlock ethical financing for Nigeria’s prosperity.
The media event, held ahead of the 7th African International Conference on Islamic Finance (AICIF), scheduled to hold in Lagos on November 4 and 5, 2025, was put together by SEC, the Metropolitan Law Firm, and Metropolitan Skills Limited.
This forthcoming conference, themed Africa Emerging: A Prosperous and Inclusive Outlook, was “strategically positioned” to coincide with the conclusion of the Revised Nigerian Capital Market Masterplan (2021–2025).
“This year’s theme is a call to action, it’s about harnessing ethical finance as a tool to build a more prosperous and equitable Africa,” Mr Agama said, noting that the Nigerian non-interest market has shown remarkable momentum, with Sukuk dominating the sector.
He revealed that the last Sukuk issuance was oversubscribed by over 700 per cent, underscoring the growing investor appetite for non-interest products and confidence in the regulatory framework.
“The non-interest capital market has attained a valuation of N1.6 trillion. The overwhelming subscription to our Sukuk issuances demonstrates strong investor confidence and an expanding demand for ethical financial instruments,” the SEC chief noted.
He explained that the enactment of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2025 provides a strengthened legal foundation for non-interest financial products, empowering the SEC to register non-interest collective investment schemes and broaden the range of instruments available to investors.
“The new Act is a game-changer,” he noted. “It modernizes our regulatory framework, enhances transparency, and gives investors the confidence needed to engage more deeply with ethical finance.”
Mr Agama stated that the AICIF will feature high-level discussions on unlocking capital for Africa’s infrastructure, green and ethical investments, agricultural financing, and the role of fintech in transforming Islamic finance.
The sessions, he said, are designed to produce practical solutions to some of the continent’s most pressing development challenges.
“This is not just another conference. It is a problem-solving platform that will deliver actionable strategies to drive new investment flows and inform future regulatory policy,” he emphasized.
The SEC boss added that the conference will bring together regulators, senior financial executives, scholars, and representatives of development finance institutions to collaborate on innovative policy frameworks.
According to him, promoting financial inclusion will be a key focus area, ensuring that ethical finance becomes a driver of prosperity for individuals and businesses alike.
“The insights generated will help shape the next phase of our capital market’s growth, ensuring it remains a strong engine for Nigeria’s economic development,” he said, underscoring that the AICIF aligns with the government’s broader agenda of promoting sustainability, inclusivity, and transparency in the financial system.
He described ethical finance as a critical component of Nigeria’s long-term economic transformation plan, capable of funding infrastructure, empowering communities, and stimulating small and medium-scale enterprises.
“The 7th AICIF is a premier forum dedicated to advancing non-interest and ethical finance across Africa. It represents a shared commitment to building a financial ecosystem that is prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable,” he said.
He urged stakeholders and the media to actively participate in the Lagos conference, describing it as “a defining moment for Nigeria’s financial sector and a blueprint for Africa’s economic rebirth.”
Also speaking, the Managing Partner for Metropolitan Law Firm and Chairman AICIF 2025 Planning Committee, Ms Ummahani Amin, said that AICIF has grown into one of the most important gatherings for policymakers, regulators, investors, scholars, and innovators who share a common goal to advance ethical, inclusive, and sustainable finance in Africa.
“This year, we are especially proud of our strategic partnership with SEC, Nigeria’s highest regulator in the capital market. This collaboration underscores our shared vision to strengthen the Islamic finance ecosystem, deepen investor confidence, and support innovation that aligns with integrity and shared prosperity.
“This year’s conference comes at a critical time — as Africa continues to explore innovative, ethical, and sustainable pathways to finance development,” she stated.
She said Islamic finance has proven to be one of the fastest-growing segments of the global financial system, and AICIF provides a unique platform to bring together policymakers, regulators, scholars, investors, and practitioners to shape that future here on the continent.
Beyond the conference sessions, Ms Amin said the partners will also be celebrating excellence and innovation through its Awards Night, as well as unveiling the winners of the AICIF Pitch Competition, a platform designed to spotlight young entrepreneurs and innovative ideas that can shape the future of Islamic finance in Africa.
By Dipo Olowookere
The upward trend witnessed at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited in recent sessions continued on Thursday as it further improved by 0.10 per cent.
This was despite investor sentiment turning bearish after the local equity market ended with 23 price gainers and 28 price gainers, indicating a negative market breadth index.
UAC Nigeria gained 10.00 per cent to finish at N88.00, Morison Industries appreciated by 9.94 per cent to N3.54, Ecobank rose by 8.53 per cent to N36.90, and Coronation Insurance grew by 8.47 per cent to N2.56.
On the flip side, Ellah Lakes depreciated by 10.00 per cent to N13.14, Eunisell Nigeria also shed 10.00 per cent to finish at N72.90, Transcorp Hotels slipped by 9.95 per cent to N157.50, Omatek shrank by 9.23 per cent to N1.18, and Guinea Insurance dipped by 8.46 per cent to N1.19.
Yesterday, the All-Share Index (ASI) went up by 152.28 points to 145,476.15 points from 145,323.87 points and the market capitalisation chalked up N97 billion to finish at N92.726 trillion compared with the previous day’s N92.629 trillion.
Customs Street was bubbling with activities on Thursday, though the trading volume and value slightly went down, according to data.
A total of 1.9 billion stocks worth N19.2 billion exchanged hands in 23,369 deals during the session versus the N2.3 billion valued at N21.0 billion traded in 21,513 deals a day earlier.
This showed that the number of deals increased by 8.63 per cent, the volume of transactions depleted by 17.39 per cent, and the value of trades decreased by 8.57 per cent.
For another trading day, eTranzact led the activity chart with 1.6 billion units sold for N6.4 billion, Fidelity Bank traded 31.0 million units worth N589.3 million, GTCO exchanged 28.3 million units valued at N2.5 billion, Zenith Bank transacted 27.1 million units for N1.6 billion, and Ecobank traded 21.9 million units worth N744.3 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira marginally depreciated against the United States Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) on Thursday, December 4 amid renewed forex pressure associated with December.
At the official market yesterday, the Nigerian currency lost 0.01 per cent or 18 Kobo against the Dollar to close at N1,447.83/$1 compared with the previous day’s N1,447.65/$1.
It was not a different scenario with the local currency in the same market segment against the Pound Sterling as it further shed N15.43 to sell for N1,930.97/£1 versus Wednesday’s closing price of N1,925.08/£1 and declined against the Euro by 20 Kobo to finish at N1,688.74/€1 compared with the preceding session’s N1,688.54/€1.
Similarly, the Nigerian Naira lost N5 against the greenback in the black market to quote at N1,465/$1 compared with the previous day’s value of N1,460/$1 but closed flat against the Dollar at the GTBank FX counter at N1,453/$1.
Fluctuations in trading range is expected to continue during the festive season as traders expect the Nigerian currency to be stable, supported by intervention s by to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)in the face of steady dollar demand.
Support is also expected in coming weeks as seasonal activities, particularly the stylised “Detty December” festivities, will see inflows that will give the Naira a boost after it depreciated mildly last month, according to a new report.
“As the festive Detty December season intensifies, inbound travel, tourism spending, and diaspora inflows are expected to provide moderate support for FX liquidity,” analysts at the research unit of FMDA said in its latest monthly report for November.
Traders cited by Reuters expect that the Naira will trade within a band of N1,443-N1,450 next week, buoyed by improved FX interventions by the apex bank.
Meanwhile, the crypto market was down as the US Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, core PCE, likely rose in September—moving in the wrong direction. However, volatility indices show no signs of major turbulence.
If the actual figure matches estimates, it would mark 55 straight months of inflation above the US central bank’s 2 per cent target. The sticky inflation would strengthen the hawkish policymakers, who are in favour of slower rate cuts.
Ripple (XRP) depreciated by 4.5 per cent to $2.08, Solana (SOL) went down by 3.8 per cent to $138.11, Litecoin (LTC) shrank by 3.1 per cent to $83.23, Dogecoin (DOGE) slid by 2.5 per cent to $0.1463, Cardano (ADA) declined by 2.1 per cent to $0.4368, Bitcoin (BTC) fell by 0.9 per cent to $91,975.45, Binance Coin (BNB) crumbled by 0.9 per cent to $899.41, and Ethereum (ETH) dropped by 0.7 per cent to $3,156.44, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 apiece.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil prices were up on Thursday amid investors’ expectations for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, while stalled Ukraine peace talks tempered expectations of a deal restoring Russian oil flows.
Brent crude gained 59 cents or 0.94 per cent to trade at $63.26 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude appreciated by 72 cents or 1.22 per cent to $59.67 per barrel.
The market ticked up on expectations that a US rate cut will support the world’s largest economy and oil demand, after data showed employment is slowing.
Markets are pricing in an 89 per cent chance of a cut when the Federal Reserve meets on December 9-10, significantly higher than rate-cut bets just a couple of weeks ago, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
Support also came as the dollar edged lower for its 10th straight day of losses against a basket of major currencies, making crude cheaper for buyers using other currencies.
Analysts noted that escalating tensions between the US and Venezuela were also supporting prices on concerns of a drop in crude supplies from the South American country, which is a member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
US President Donald Trump’s administration is ratcheting up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, signalling the possibility of a US invasion.
The perception that progress on a peace plan for Ukraine was stalling also supported prices, after President Trump’s representatives emerged from peace talks with the Kremlin with no resolution in sight.
Expectations of an end to the war had pressured prices lower, as traders anticipated a deal would allow Russian oil back into an already oversupplied global market..
Meanwhile, Ukraine continued its assault on Russia’s energy infrastructure as it hit the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia’s central Tambov region, the fifth attack on the pipeline that sends Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia.
Kpler noted that Ukraine’s drone campaign against Russian refining infrastructure has affected production to down around 5 million barrels per day between September and November, a 335,000 barrels per day year-on-year decline, with gasoline (petrol) hit hardest and gasoil output also materially weaker.
US crude and fuel inventories rose last week as refining activity picked up, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday.
Crude inventories rose by 574,000 barrels to 427.5 million barrels in the week ended November 28, the EIA said, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for an 821,000-barrel draw.
Fitch Ratings on Thursday cut its 2025-2027 oil price assumptions to reflect market oversupply and production growth that is expected to outstrip demand.
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