By ENITAN ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA, mnipr
Who really owns the capital building Nigeria’s future? That question will take centre stage in Ibadan on Friday as the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi John Agama, delivers the 2026 University of Ibadan Alumni Association (UIAA) Worldwide Annual Public Service Lecture.
Agama, one of Nigeria’s leading voices in capital-market regulation and financial development, will speak on the provocative theme: “First and Best — But Whose Capital Built It? Rethinking How Nigeria Funds Its Own Future.”
The lecture, scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2026, will take place at the Dame Edith Okowa Auditorium, Dr. Michael Omolayole Alumni Complex, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
With Nigeria facing persistent questions over how to mobilise the capital required for infrastructure, business expansion, job creation and sustainable economic growth, the UIAA says the lecture is designed to move the conversation beyond identifying problems to exploring practical solutions.
Agama comes to the assignment with more than three decades of experience across capital-market regulation, economic policy, financial strategy and institutional leadership. Since his appointment as SEC Director-General in April 2024, he has been at the centre of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s capital-market ecosystem and bring it closer to global standards.
His career at the SEC dates back to 2004, during which he has occupied several strategic positions, including Divisional Head of Market Infrastructure and Head of Registration and Exchanges. He also served as Head of Market Infrastructure and Innovation, overseeing regulatory frameworks involving exchanges, depositories and clearing houses.
Before becoming SEC Director-General, Agama was Managing Director of the Nigerian Capital Market Institute, where he led programmes aimed at strengthening professional capacity and regulatory knowledge among market participants in Nigeria and across Africa.
His extensive academic and professional background includes a PhD in Economics from Nile University of Nigeria, a Graduate Certificate in Capital Markets from George Washington University, United States, and master’s degrees in Economics and Banking and Finance from the University of Benin.
He is a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA, UK) and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (FCIS). He is also a Fellow of the IFC–Milken Institute Capital Markets Program.
Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan ahead of the event, the UIAA Worldwide 1st Vice President and Chairman of the Lecture Organising Committee, Dr. Irene Irenosen Akhideno, (Consultant Anaesthetist and Intensivist ISTH), said the association was delighted to have Agama as the guest lecturer.
“We are excited to have Dr. Emomotimi John Agama,” she said.
Akhideno explained that the UIAA Annual Public Service Lecture is not merely an academic gathering but a platform through which the association seeks to interrogate pressing national issues and contribute ideas capable of addressing societal challenges.
She said this year’s theme was particularly timely, given the urgent need for Nigeria to strengthen domestic capital mobilisation and develop sustainable ways of financing its economic future.
The lecture will be chaired by Chief Bayo Oyero, a distinguished University of Ibadan alumnus, human capital and business development expert and former President of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes.
The organisers expect the event to draw a high-powered audience comprising government officials, academics, economists, members of the UIAA worldwide, oil and gas executives, captains of industry, banking and finance executives, maritime industry leaders, legal practitioners, ICT professionals, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of multilateral institutions, media practitioners and other members of the public.
For the UIAA, however, the central issue goes beyond the lecture hall: if Nigeria is to build a stronger and more prosperous future, where will the capital come from, and who will ultimately provide it?
That is the question Agama is expected to confront when he takes the podium at the University of Ibadan on Friday.