SEC reaffirms commitment to equitable access to investment opportunities

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to ensure investors get equitable access to financial services, investment opportunities.

A statement by SEC said the commission’s Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services, Mrs Samiya Usman, made the commitment on Sunday.

Usman said the commission’s dedication to fostering an inclusive financial ecosystem that empowered women across all sectors was unquestionable. It is thus opening investment opportunities to more women.

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She said that over the years, SEC had taken deliberate steps to ensure that the country’s capital market fostered inclusivity and catered to the unique financial needs of women.

”A financially empowered woman is an empowered household and an empowered household is the bedrock of a prosperous economy.

”Through policy advocacy, regulatory frameworks, and partnerships, we continue to encourage the development of women-focused financial products and services.

”I am pleased to highlight that some of our capital market operators have heeded this call by designing tailored investment solutions.

“A notable example is United Capital’s Women Wealth for Women Fund, which seek to empower women with wealth creation opportunities.

”Similarly, within the commodities market, innovative financial products have been structured to enhance women’s participation in agribusiness, an area where many Nigerian women play a critical role,” she said.

Usman said the commission had actively promoted investor education for women, through webinars, reaching market women, Small and Medium Enterprises and women-led businesses through targeted financial literacy programmes.

She said that in spite of the progress made, several barriers still hindered women’s participation in the financial sector ranging from cultural limitations to financial literacy gaps, inadequate access to credit, among others.

The executive commissioner urged stakeholders to work collectively to dismantle the barriers.

Usman said SEC was committed to strengthening collaboration with stakeholders to drive more gender-focused financial inclusion policies, encourage financial institutions and market operators to introduce more products tailored to the unique needs of women.