Senator Osita Izunaso, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, has challenged the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to accelerate regulations for digital assets and tokenisation, warning that delays could cost Nigeria emerging investment opportunities.
Izunaso made the call on Monday at the National Capital Market Conference 2026 in Abuja, where the SEC unveiled the Nigerian Capital Market Master Plan 2.0, a 10-year roadmap aimed at expanding the capital market and mobilising long-term financing.
His intervention comes despite the recognition of digital assets under the Investments and Securities Act 2025 and the SEC’s subsequent proposals for regulating real-world asset tokenisation platforms.
Izunaso questioned Nigeria’s readiness to participate in the growing international tokenisation market, arguing that clearer regulatory arrangements were needed to support investment opportunities.
The senator said Nigerian stakeholders were travelling abroad to explore tokenisation opportunities while domestic regulatory processes remained incomplete.
He said Nigeria had more than five million registered companies but only about 151 listed firms, highlighting the gap between the number of registered businesses and publicly traded companies.
According to him, additional listings would allow Nigerians to own stakes in major businesses while expanding domestic investment opportunities.
Nigeria has already taken legislative steps towards regulating digital assets through the Investments and Securities Act 2025. The legislation recognises virtual assets and strengthens the SEC’s oversight of relevant digital asset operators and exchanges.
The remarks reflect the Commission’s stated intention to accommodate innovation while maintaining regulatory compliance and investor safeguards.
Izunaso’s intervention comes as Nigeria implements the Nigerian Capital Market Master Plan 2.0, which targets an expansion of the capital market from approximately N250 trillion to N750 trillion by 2036.
The roadmap seeks to deepen investment participation, expand financing opportunities and strengthen the market’s role in supporting economic development.
Although the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2025 establishes a legal foundation for digital asset oversight, the specific rules governing tokenisation platforms remain central to Izunaso’s concerns. The immediate challenge for regulators is to provide sufficient clarity for market participants while maintaining the safeguards needed to support investor confidence and sustainable market development.
