Nigeria’s new Investment and Securities Act (ISA) 2025 has created a regulatory framework for digital assets, positioning Africa’s most populous nation to leverage on a fast-growing segment of global capital markets to ‘revolutionise’ its economy, create wealth and lead the pack in blockchain technology.
Experts and policymakers discussed the ‘Digital Asset Markets Strategy Masterclass Series’ in Lagos, discussing the legal implications of the March 2025 legislation empowering the SEC to oversee digital assets and tokenised securities, highlighting the potential for wealth creation and digital transformation.
“This digital market experience has shown that Nigeria has taken a turn because the way we have embraced it is magnificent,” Okoye said. But not missing out of this ‘digital revolution’ lies in adopting a digital asset market strategy.
“For enterprises, it’s about positioning digital assets for growth. For government ministries, each one needs its own digital asset strategy. And for individuals, it’s about understanding how to invest and plan wealth transfer using digital tools,” he explained.
Nigerian young entrepreneurs are leaving their funds abroad due to unclear regulations, causing the naira to crash. However, new legislation, ISA 2025, aims to move the naira’s value positively by attracting money through the digital asset market. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) believes this will legitimize the space for digital assets to thrive in Nigeria.
The SEC chief noted that the commission shall continue to provide regulatory frameworks aimed at ensuring compliance, stressing that “investor confidence in the capital market remains SEC’s top priority”.
Before the enactment of the ISA, Nigeria’s digital asset market—despite being one of the most active globally—lacked a statutory basis for regulation.
The SEC had issued guidelines in 2020, but its role remained ambiguous. The new law addresses that vacuum by legally recognising digital assets as securities, giving the commission full authority to license and regulate related market activities.
