Victoria Tokolo
The Capital Market Solicitors Association (CMSA) has announced plans to hold its 2026 Annual Business Summit (ABS), with a focus on strengthening the foundations of Nigeria’s capital market and ensuring sustainable growth beyond temporary market upswings.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday, CMSA Chairman, Simisola Eyisanmi, said the summit, themed “Structural Resilience and Market Permanence: Anchoring Nigeria’s Capital Market Beyond the Bull Run,” will examine strategies for sustaining market growth through long-term structural reforms.
According to Eyisanmi, the summit seeks to shift attention from short-term speculative gains to enduring reforms capable of supporting long-term capital formation, investor confidence and economic development.
She noted that discussions at the summit would focus on key drivers of market permanence, including institutional governance, capital adequacy, market trading procedures, regulatory reforms, technological integration and broader economic coordination.
“The summit will provide valuable insights into the opportunities, risks and reforms shaping the future of Nigeria’s capital market and the wider economy,” she said.
The event is scheduled to hold on July 1, 2026, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, beginning at 10:00 a.m., with participation open to the public at no cost.
Eyisanmi said the programme would feature a keynote address, a fireside chat and panel discussions on contemporary issues affecting the capital market.
Explaining the rationale behind the theme, she said Nigeria’s capital market has witnessed significant growth in recent years, becoming an increasingly attractive platform for fundraising and investment by both small and large businesses.
She recalled concerns following the 2008 market crash and noted that the enactment of the Investment and Securities Act (ISA) 2025 had introduced reforms aimed at addressing long-standing market challenges.
“Since the passage of the new legislation, we have seen a significant uptick in market activity. This year’s theme is intended to reassure stakeholders that the growth we are witnessing is backed by strong regulatory, technological and investor-protection frameworks and is not merely a temporary phenomenon,” she said.
Eyisanmi also disclosed that the association’s website is currently undergoing a major upgrade and will be relaunched shortly after the summit.
She explained that the revamped platform would feature event recordings, photographs, information on CMSA member firms and interactive channels for public feedback.
Chairman of the summit planning committee and former Bauchi State Governor, H. E Muhammed A. Abubakar, said the 2026 summit would build on the gains recorded following discussions on the ISA 2025 at previous editions.
He explained that while last year’s summit focused extensively on analysing the provisions of the new law, this year’s edition would concentrate on assessing the impact of the reforms and charting a path forward for the market.
“This year’s summit aims at highlighting the gains made through the innovations introduced by the ISA 2025 and examining what the market should look like beyond the current bullish phase,” he said.
Abubakar added that the expansion of the capital market through the introduction of new investment products and commodities remains one of the major achievements recorded since the enactment of the legislation.
Also speaking, CMSA Vice Chairman, Mabel Okereke, called for greater public awareness of dispute resolution mechanisms within the capital market ecosystem.
She said investors with complaints against capital market operators could seek redress through the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Administrative Proceedings Committee and ultimately the Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST).
“The IST serves as a specialised tribunal for capital market disputes, and its decisions are appealable directly to the Court of Appeal. Unfortunately, many investors are unaware of its existence and functions,” she said.
Okereke disclosed that CMSA is collaborating with the tribunal to increase public awareness and has invited its officials to participate in the summit.
She also highlighted the growing role of digital and virtual assets in the Nigerian investment landscape, noting that the ISA 2025 and SEC regulations have established a framework for regulating cryptocurrencies and other virtual asset activities.
According to her, the reforms are aimed at strengthening investor protection and boosting confidence across all categories of investors, including retail and institutional participants.
“The objective of the SEC, the ISA 2025 and related regulatory frameworks is to ensure that investors are protected and that confidence in the market continues to grow,” she said.
The CMSA is an independent umbrella body of solicitors and commercial law firms engaged in capital market practice in Nigeria. The association serves as a platform for promoting the interests of legal practitioners involved in capital market transactions and contributes to policy discussions aimed at deepening the country’s financial markets.
