SEC Gives Market Operators Two Days to Submit Q2 2026 Ownership, Capital Flows Returns

…. Commission sets July 10 deadline for registrars, brokers, and fund managers as it strengthens Nigeria’s external sector data collection

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has directed all Capital Market Operators to submit their Q2 2026 Ownership Structure and Capital Flows Returns on or before Friday, July 10, 2026.

This is according to the market regulator’s latest circular titled “Request for the Submission of Q2 2026 Ownership Structure and Capital Flows Returns” published on Wednesday, July 8.

The directive covers Registrars, Brokers/Dealers, Fund Managers, and other relevant operators.

The Commission published the reminder on July 8, 2026, leaving operators just two days to comply.

What the SEC is saying:

The Commission said the returns support the compilation of Nigeria’s Balance of Payments (BOP) and International Investment Position (IIP) statistics.

• “This exercise forms part of ongoing efforts to improve the quality, coverage, and reliability of Nigeria’s external sector statistics,” SEC stated.

Accordingly, operators are required to provide quarterly data on:

• Operators must report new equity and debt investments involving residents and non-residents.
• They must also disclose foreign portfolio holdings, cross-border transactions, and investments linked to mergers and acquisitions.
• Equity and debt holdings of non-residents in Nigerian entities and those of Nigerian residents in foreign entities;
• Investments arising from mergers, acquisitions, and other business combinations involving resident and non-resident entities; and
• Other cross-border capital market transactions.

The SEC described the exercise as a continuous quarterly obligation, not a one-off requirement.

What the returns must cover:

Reporting entities are required to submit data on the following:

• Investments in newly issued equities and debt securities.
• Foreign portfolio investment holdings in Nigerian companies.
• Ownership interests arising from business combinations involving non-residents.
• Investments by multinational corporations in the Nigerian capital market.
• Equity and bond investments held abroad by resident companies.

SEC advised operators to strictly follow the reporting templates by operator category, carefully review the guidance accompanying each reporting template and ensure that all submissions are complete, accurate, and submitted within the stipulated timeline.

More insights:

The reporting templates by operator category, which the regulator has provided on google stipulated the following:

Registrars must submit data on the Ownership Structure of Nigerian Companies through a designated Google Form.

Brokers/Dealers and Fund Managers must submit three separate returns each:

• Domestic transactions carried out on behalf of non-resident investors.
• Foreign transactions carried out on behalf of Nigerian residents.
• The current US-dollar value of foreign investments they manage on behalf of Nigerian residents.
• All templates were shared alongside the notice, with accompanying guidance for each category provided on google.

As a sign that the commission may be monitoring compliance patterns across the industry, the circular acknowledged operators who have consistently complied with the requirement and met reporting timelines, describing their cooperation as a contribution to a national assignment.

What you should know:

This reporting requirement comes as Nigeria’s capital market continues to draw international attention, including its recent placement on S&P Dow Jones Indices’ 2027 Frontier Market Watchlist.

• Reliable data collection strengthens the country’s case for deeper integration with global capital markets.
• Nigeria’s external sector statistics rely heavily on accurate capital market data.
• The BOP and IIP reports feed into how multilateral institutions, rating agencies, and foreign investors assess Nigeria’s macroeconomic position.

The Commission urged all operators to review the guidance for each template carefully and ensure submissions are complete and accurate before the Friday deadline.

The tight deadline puts pressure on operators still finalising their Q2 figures. Compliance officers across registrars, brokerage firms, and asset management companies now have a narrow window to collate and validate data before submission.