The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), said it has stepped up efforts to encourage retail investors to invest in the capital market, to create wealth, deepen the market, and grow Nigeria’s economy.

The Acting Director-General of SEC, Ms. Mary Uduk, who spoke to journalists in Lagos on the sidelines of the Thisday Awards 2020, urged investors to look into the capital market for future investments, as various products abound that would suit their needs. She said: “You don’t not need to have so much money to be able to tap into the opportunities available in the capital market. For instance, with the government bond, the minimum investable amount is N10,000 and you can buy in subsequent amounts of N1,000.

“We have Collective Investments Schemes (CIS), we have the stocks that you can buy through the stockbrokers, and those you can invest in with as little as N5,000.

“So you do not necessarily need to have a lot of money to invest; all you need is to approach the stockbrokers. They can open an account for you and whatever you have you can pay into the account and give instructions in what kind of investments you want to make.

Uduk said it is important for people to understand the workings of the capital market and not have the misconception that they must have a lot of money before they can invest.

“We have to disabuse our minds off it. I think that is what is leading people into putting money into Ponzi schemes and lose their money. So all you need to do is to go to SEC website see the list of capital market operators and approach one of them to open an account.” She assured investors that SEC would continue to play its role of providing a good playing ground for investors to ensure that they get the benefits of their investments.

“The SEC is very interested in investor protection, and that is why we have rules that the players must obey, and all these are channelled towards ensuring that our market is safe for investors.

“The smaller the investors the more he/she is protected. We don’t want any investor to go into the market and lose money that will not be good for our market.”

Uduk said further that SEC would continue to educate and enlighten Nigerians about the investment opportunities available in the market, and urged potential investors to engage professionals who will guide them on relevant products to invest in.
“In the past people just go to stockbrokers to buy stocks without having proper knowledge of what to buy but now we are encouraging people to go through the investment schemes.

“If you don’t know anything about stocks go through CIS and invest in different stocks so that professionals can manage your investments. If I am a welder for instance and I don’t know anything about investments, I can put my money there and professionals will manage it for me,” she added.