SEC DG Agama elected IOSCO AMERC vice chair

Barbara Bako, Abuja.

The Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Nigeria, Dr. Emomotimi Agama, has been elected Vice Chairman of the Africa/Middle East Regional Committee (AMERC) of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).

With this election, Agama will also serve on the IOSCO Board, the organization’s highest decision-making body, until 2026. IOSCO is recognized as the leading global policy forum for securities regulators, with members overseeing more than 95 percent of the world’s securities markets across over 100 jurisdictions.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Agama expressed appreciation to AMERC members for the confidence reposed in him, noting that his election reflects a collective commitment to strengthening both IOSCO and AMERC.

According to him, “It is with immense humility and a profound sense of duty that I accept my nomination as Vice Chairman of AMERC and Board Member of IOSCO. This is more than a personal honor, it is a mandate to transform our capital markets into engines of inclusive growth, innovation, and shared prosperity for Africa and the Middle East.”

He said, “We must aggressively expand listings by working with AFMI (African Financial Markets Initiative) and SSA exchanges to harmonize standards, reduce listing costs, and create cross-border linkages. To boost liquidity, we will pioneer regional market-making schemes and advocate for pension fund reforms to channel domestic savings into productive investments.”

“Critically, we will partner with AFMI and development institutions to de-risk infrastructure investments and attract global capital. However, infrastructure alone is not enough. With 70% of Africa’s population under 30, we must empower youth through: Retail investor programs to democratize market participation, Fintech sandboxes to nurture youth-led innovation and Listings of high-growth startups to create wealth and jobs,” he added.

On digital assets, the SEC boss stressed the need to embrace innovation while managing associated risks, describing the sector as a $10 trillion opportunity by 2030.

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He said, “With our young, tech-savvy populations, Africa and the Middle East must lead not follow. Through AMERC-IOSCO joint task forces, we will develop: Clear stable-coin regulations, Frameworks for tokenized securities, Investor protection standards for crypto assets and we must balance innovation with stability, ensuring our markets are both dynamic and secure.”

Agama noted that despite the progress made by IOSCO, more work lies ahead.

He called for sustained cooperation among members to benefit investors, markets, and the global economy.

He added that the Committee would continue to advance discussions aimed at launching a “Listings Growth Initiative” for SMEs, creating a cross-border settlement system to boost liquidity, establishing a Digital Assets Working Group for the region, and developing capital market literacy programmes.

Founded in 1983, IOSCO serves as the global standard setter for the securities industry and currently has more than 100 ordinary members.