The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has said that the Nigerian capital market will officially transition to a T+2 settlement cycle for equities transactions from Friday, November 28, 2025, in a move designed to align with global best practices and enhance market efficiency.

The Commission disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, noting that the transition from the current T+3 (trade date plus three days) settlement cycle is now at the implementation stage following months of preparation and stakeholder testing.

According to the SEC, the “migration is expected to significantly enhance the Nigerian Capital Market by allowing investors quicker access to funds, thereby enhancing overall market liquidity and reducing counterparty risk exposure, thereby fostering a more stable and resilient market environment”.

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The Commission added that “As the central counterparty, CSCS Plc has dedicated considerable effort and resources to ensure seamless operational and technical readiness throughout the transition”.

“Extensive testing with market participants has been successfully conducted without any reported issues, reflecting high confidence in the market’s preparedness for this landmark change”, it disclosed.

Under the new system, all trades executed on Friday, November 28, 2025, will settle on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, while transactions carried out before that date will continue to follow the existing T+3 schedule. This means that trades executed on Thursday, November 27, will also settle on December 2, coinciding with the first batch of T+2 settlements.

The SEC reaffirmed its commitment to building a modern, efficient, and transparent capital market, adding that it will continue to engage stakeholders to drive further improvements and strengthen Nigeria’s position as an attractive investment destination.

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Iheanyi Nwachukwu, is a creative content writer with almost two decades journalism experience writing on banking, finance, capital markets, and tax. The multiple awards winning journalist is Assistant Editor, BusinessDay. Iheanyi holds BSc Degree in Economics from Imo State University; Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Management from University of Lagos. Iheanyi has attended several work-related trainings including (i) Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills (Pan African University, Lagos); (ii) News Agency Journalism (Indian Institute of Mass Communication {IIMC}, New Delhi, India); and (iii) Capital Markets Development and Regulations (International Law Institute {ILI} of Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA). Other trainings Iheanyi attended include: Economic/Political Risk Analysis (By Thomson Reuters Foundation); International Financial Journalism (IFJ) (By PMA Media Training, UK); Effective Business Writing Skills (By Phillips Consulting); Reporting on Corporate Governance (By International Finance Corporation (IFC) & Thomson Reuters Foundation UK); etc. In addition, he has participated in high-level economy & markets events in Dubai, South Africa, Morocco, and other African countries like Zambia, Ghana and Gambia.

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