July 9 (THEWILL) — The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has directed all Capital Market Operators (CMOs) to submit their Q2 2026 Ownership Structure and Capital Flows Returns by Friday, July 10, 2026, giving operators two days to comply.
The directive, contained in a circular titled “Request for the Submission of Q2 2026 Ownership Structure and Capital Flows Returns” published on Wednesday, applies to registrars, brokers/dealers, fund managers and other relevant market operators.
According to the Commission, the quarterly returns are required to support the compilation of Nigeria’s Balance of Payments (BOP) and International Investment Position (IIP) statistics, which are used to measure the country’s external financial position.
SEC said the exercise is aimed at improving the quality, coverage and reliability of Nigeria’s external sector data.
Operators are expected to report investments in newly issued equity and debt securities involving residents and non-residents, foreign portfolio holdings, cross-border capital market transactions, as well as investments arising from mergers, acquisitions and other business combinations.
The regulator stressed that the reporting requirement is a continuous quarterly obligation and urged operators to ensure all submissions are complete, accurate and made within the stipulated timeline.
Under the reporting framework, registrars are required to provide ownership structure data for Nigerian companies through a designated reporting portal. Brokers/dealers and fund managers are expected to submit separate returns covering domestic transactions executed for foreign investors, foreign investments made on behalf of Nigerian residents, and the current dollar value of offshore investments under their management.
The Commission also acknowledged operators that have consistently met reporting deadlines, describing their cooperation as an important contribution to a national assignment.
The reporting exercise comes as Nigeria’s capital market continues to attract increased global attention following its recent placement on the S&P Dow Jones Indices’ 2027 Frontier Market Watchlist. Accurate capital market data, the Commission noted, remains critical for macroeconomic assessments by multilateral institutions, credit rating agencies and foreign investors, while strengthening Nigeria’s external sector statistics and investment profile.
Ogochukwu Onwaeze is a writer specializing in business and economic journalism. At THEWILL News Media, she translates market trends, financial developments, and policy shifts into clear and engaging stories.
