The New Investment and Securities Act 2025: What It Means for Your Money

The Investment and Securities Act is the primary law in Nigeria regulating investments and the capital market. Its goals are to protect investors, ensure fair and efficient markets, and build trust in the financial system
Recently, the President signed a new version of the Act into law, replacing the old version from 2007. This updated law brings big changes to the way investments work in Nigeria, and it’s designed to make the financial system safer, more transparent, and better suited for today’s digital world.
If you invest your money in mutual funds, stocks, digital assets like crypto, or other financial products, this directly affects you.

So why is this important to you?

As a trusted wealth management platform, we believe in empowering you with information that affects your financial journey. When there’s a major change in the investing environment, we want you — our customers — to understand what’s happening and why it’s important. Let’s break down what’s new in the law and what it means for your money.

1. The SEC Now Has More Power to Protect You

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is the main body that oversees investments in Nigeria. Under the new law, the SEC has been given more authority to monitor and regulate how investment companies operate.
This means the SEC can now step in quicker if a company is doing anything shady, misleading, or going against the rules. For investors, this is a win, it helps ensure your money is being managed in a safer environment.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria is the foremost Governmental agency mandated to regulate the investment market, protect investors, and ensure a fair and efficient capital market.

2. Fraudulent Schemes Are Now Clearly Illegal

One of the biggest updates in the new law is how it deals with fraudulent investment schemes, especially Ponzi schemes. They are a type of investment scam where returns are paid to earlier investors using the capital from newer investors, rather than from actual profits earned. The scheme relies on a constant flow of new money to continue, and it eventually collapses when that flow runs out, usually when it becomes hard to recruit new investors or when too many people try to withdraw their money at once.
With the new Act, these types of schemes are now clearly illegal. The SEC has the power to go after promoters of these schemes and shut them down fast. They can also freeze any assets linked to the schemes. This is a big step in protecting everyday Nigerians from being scammed.

3. Digital Assets Like Crypto Are Now Regulated

Before now, there was a lot of confusion about how digital assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto-related investments fit into Nigerian law. For the first time, Nigeria legally recognizes virtual/digital assets (like cryptocurrencies) as securities.

This means they fall under the SEC’s regulation. Any company offering Virtual and Digital Assets investments in Nigeria will now need to register and follow SEC rules. So while this doesn’t ban things like crypto, it does bring more order to the space, giving investors more protection and making it harder for bad actors to take advantage of people.

4. Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) Introduced

The Act also brings something called the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI). This is a unique code for any company or organization involved in financial markets.
The LEI helps regulators track who is doing what in the investment space, making it easier to trace suspicious transactions and improve transparency. It might not directly affect you as an investor, but it’s part of what keeps the system fair and clean behind the scenes.

5. Stronger Market Infrastructure

The new law also improves how the entire investment system is organized. It provides better rules for stock exchanges and investment platforms and creates clearer categories for different types of market operators.
This helps to modernize the investment space in Nigeria, making it more structured, secure, and in line with global best practices.

What Does the New Act Mean for You as an Investor?

You’ve seen how the new Investment and Securities Act 2025 impacts the overall market, but let’s bring it closer to home. What does it actually mean for you, someone who saves or invests money on a platform like Akiba?
Here’s how this new law benefits and protects you:

1. Your Money Is Now Safer Than Ever

One of the biggest changes is the law’s hard stance on fraud and scam investments, especially Ponzi schemes that promise huge returns but crash eventually.
Now, those kinds of schemes are officially illegal. The government can now go after the people behind them and shut them down fast. For you, that means a safer environment to grow your money. When you invest through Akiba, you’re operating in a market where the chances of falling for a scam have just been significantly reduced.
We already vet every investment product we offer, but knowing there’s now a strong legal backup protecting you makes things even better.

2. Digital Assets (Like Crypto) Will Be More Transparent

Maybe you’ve thought about trying out cryptocurrency or you’re just curious about how it works. Before now, there weren’t clear rules around it, which made the space feel risky and confusing.
The new law officially recognizes digital assets like crypto as part of Nigeria’s financial system. That means if you ever invest in digital assets in the future, you’ll be doing it in a space where:
• The SEC is watching over it
• Platforms and exchanges must follow clear rules
• Shady crypto deals will be easier to spot and shut down

Even though Akiba currently focuses on safer options like high yield savings, this law could open the door for regulated digital investment products in the future, making innovation feel less risky and more rewarding.

3. More Transparency = More Trust

You may never hear about tools like the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI), but it helps ensure that every major player in a transaction can be identified. This makes it harder for bad actors to hide.
So, what does that mean for you?
• Fewer shady deals slipping through the cracks
• More reliable information about where your money is going
• A financial system you can trust more

And since Nigeria is now playing by global rules, it could bring in more international investment opportunities. That means you may get access to more products from global companies, giving you more ways to grow your money or diversify your portfolio.

4. What You Can Expect from Akiba

At Akiba, your safety has always come first. We work hard to offer trusted, well-regulated investment options and savings tools. This new law supports everything we already believe in — clear rules, investor protection, and safe access to financial growth.
We’re already reviewing the full Act to see:
• How it might open up new, exciting investment products in the future
• What we need to do to stay fully compliant with the law
• How to protect you even better going forward

From its birth, Akiba is a platform owned by Vetiva Capital Management Ltd, a company duly licensed and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Now, with the ISA 2025, the SEC is even more empowered to protect the integrity of the capital market. By extension, it means your funds are even more secure with us.

Investing can feel complicated, but good laws like the ISA 2025 help make the environment safer and more transparent for everyone. At Akiba, we’re all about helping you grow your money the smart and secure way.
We’ll continue to share updates like this so you can stay informed and confident in your financial journey. Follow this account to stay updated on financial news and updates.

At Akiba, Our Mission Is Simple — Help You Grow Your Money

We believe everyone deserves access to smart, secure, and flexible financial tools. That’s why we’ve built investment and savings options that work for students, business owners, 9–5ers, side hustlers, and everyone in between. From savings goals to low-risk investments, Akiba makes growing your money as easy as sending a text, and you don’t need to be a finance expert to start.

Here are some ways you can build wealth on Akiba — all with attractive returns and full control in your hands:

💰 High-Yield Naira Savings

Get access to savings plans that offer up to 17% interest per year. Whether you’re saving for rent, school fees, or just putting something aside every month, your money grows here. We have 3 savings plans:

🎯 Target Savings

Set up a savings plan for anything — travel, gadgets, rent, tuition, you name it. Choose how long you want to save (3, 6, 9, or 12 months), lock your plan, and watch your savings grow.

🚨 Standard Savings, your emergency wallet

Life happens — and sometimes, you need to access your funds fast. That’s why we built Standard Savings that you can withdraw from anytime, with no penalty. Save with peace of mind.

🔐Vault Savings

Want to save but you need discipline? We built this to help you lock your funds over a period of time and earn interests on it.

🧠 Akiba Tribe

We’re big on financial literacy. Through Akiba Tribe, you get access to easy-to-understand guides and resources to help you make smarter money moves while earning rewards for learning.

It doesn’t matter if you’re saving N1,000 a week or investing N1 million a month, Akiba gives you the tools to build wealth your way. Whether you’re a student, a tech bro, a business owner, or just getting started on your money journey, there’s something here for you.

You’re not just saving, you’re building. You’re not just investing; you’re securing your future. So, whatever your goals are… save for them on Akiba.