The Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC) and Metropolitan Regulation Agency and the planning committee for the seventh African Worldwide Convention on Islamic Finance (AICIF) have signed a partnership to supply a transformative platform for creating progressive, moral, and sustainable monetary options to energy Africa’s infrastructure and actual sector progress.
Each organisations mentioned they’ll drive the agenda on the seventh AICIF, which is scheduled to happen in Lagos from November 4 to five, 2025.
At a joint press convention in Abuja, the Director-Basic of the Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC), Dr Emomotimi Agama, and Ummahani Amin, managing associate of Metropolitan Regulation Agency and chairman of the AICIF 2025 planning committee, mentioned the convention will transcend educational discussions to suggest sensible methods for financing Africa’s infrastructure via Islamic and non-interest finance devices.
Dr Agama mentioned the 2025 version, themed “Africa Rising: A Affluent and Inclusive Outlook,” is strategically positioned at a defining second — as Nigeria concludes the Revised Capital Market Masterplan (2021–2025). The discussion board, he mentioned, is designed to unlock capital for Africa’s infrastructure wants via sustainable, inclusive, and moral financing fashions.
“This is not going to simply be a routine convention,” Agama acknowledged. “We’re convening specialists to sort out probably the most vital financial questions dealing with our continent, notably fund the roads, energy, and know-how our economies want for progress and growth.”
Based on him, one of many flagship classes, “Unlocking Capital for Africa’s Infrastructure,” will deal with actionable methods to shut the continent’s infrastructure financing hole via Islamic monetary devices equivalent to Sukuk, non-interest bonds, and collective funding schemes.
He mentioned the non-interest capital market in Nigeria has now attained a price of N1.6 trillion, with Sukuk issuances driving the momentum. He famous that the 700 per cent oversubscription of the final issuance demonstrated rising investor confidence and urge for food for moral merchandise.
“The success of Sukuk and different non-interest devices reveals that moral finance is not only an ethical selection — it’s an economically sound path to mobilising capital for growth,” he mentioned.
Dr Agama disclosed that with enacting the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2025, Nigeria now has a modernised authorized and regulatory framework that enhances confidence in non-interest finance.
He described the legislation as “a game-changer” that gives a statutory foundation for Sukuk and empowers the SEC to register Non-Curiosity Collective Funding Schemes, immediately advancing innovation and market growth objectives.
“The brand new Act strengthens our capability to control, innovate, and deepen moral finance merchandise that may channel funds into infrastructure, agriculture, and know-how,” he defined.
The SEC chief emphasised that this yr’s AICIF is anticipated to supply measurable financial outcomes, with key resolutions to information policymaking, stimulate new funding flows, and encourage future financing mechanisms that hyperlink capital to actual sector progress.
“We count on the insights from AICIF 2025 to tell the following section of our capital market’s growth and guarantee it stays a strong engine for sustainable financial progress,” Agama added.
Along with infrastructure financing, the convention will host classes on “Inexperienced and Moral Investments: The Way forward for Power Finance” and “Agricultural Financing: From Farm to Desk via Moral Choices.” These discussions will discover how Islamic finance can drive sustainable power transitions and improve meals safety via moral capital deployment.
“We’re connecting finance to the true financial system — from farms to factories to monetary know-how — to make sure that progress is broad-based and inclusive,” Agama mentioned.
In her remarks, Amin mentioned the convention has turn out to be considered one of Africa’s main gatherings for advancing moral and sustainable finance.
“AICIF is a platform for policymakers, regulators, traders, and innovators to collaborate on shaping the way forward for non-interest finance in Africa,” she famous.
Amin mentioned the 2025 convention will present a blueprint for a way Islamic finance can catalyse infrastructure growth and inclusive progress, particularly as African nations seek for viable, long-term financing fashions to bridge the infrastructure deficit.
She emphasised that the partnership between the SEC and Metropolitan Regulation Agency displays a shared dedication to strengthening the Islamic finance ecosystem and increasing entry to non-interest merchandise that align with transparency and social influence.
“Our focus this yr is evident — to exhibit how moral finance can mobilise capital to construct roads, energy initiatives, housing, and different public items that drive actual financial transformation,” she defined.
