The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has advised Nigerian civil servants to take advantage of opportunities in the capital market to build wealth, strengthen financial security and actively participate in national economic growth.
The Director-General of the SEC, Dr. Emomotimi Agama, gave the advice during a strategic engagement with the Head of Service of the Federation, Dame Didi Walson-Jack, and top civil service officials. He said the capital market should no longer be seen as distant from the daily lives of public servants, but as a viable platform for long-term savings and investment.
Agama stressed that civil servants must go beyond earning monthly salaries and begin to see themselves as investors and stakeholders in the economy, noting that this shift would improve their financial stability during service and in retirement.
“The capital market is a platform for wealth creation and financial security. Our collective goal should be to move civil servants from being just salary earners to becoming active investors and beneficiaries of economic growth,” he said.
He explained that the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) already connects millions of civil servants to the capital market, as pension funds are invested in government bonds, equities, infrastructure funds and other market instruments. According to him, the performance of these investments has a direct impact on workers’ retirement benefits.
Agama said a better understanding of the capital market would deepen confidence in the pension system and encourage civil servants to explore additional investment options such as mutual funds, bonds, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and other regulated instruments.
To support this, the SEC boss proposed a structured financial literacy programme tailored specifically for the civil service. The initiative, he said, would focus on savings, investment planning, home ownership and education funding through workshops, seminars and digital learning platforms.
“A financially literate civil service is a more stable, productive and secure workforce,” Agama said, adding that informed financial decisions would help workers achieve long-term stability.
He also highlighted the role of the capital market in addressing housing challenges faced by public servants, noting that instruments such as REITs and mortgage-backed securities could provide more accessible pathways to home ownership if properly supported by policy.
Agama further called for stronger collaboration between the SEC and the civil service, including the creation of a standing joint committee and the integration of capital market education into the training curriculum of institutions such as the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON).
“When civil servants understand and participate actively in the capital market, they become partners in Nigeria’s growth story, not just administrators of policy,” he said.
The SEC boss also warned civil servants against investing in unregistered entities, noting that many victims of Ponzi schemes are public servants. He said the commission would intensify sensitisation efforts on the dangers of patronising such schemes.
Responding, the Head of Service of the Federation, Dame Didi Walson-Jack, expressed readiness to collaborate with the SEC on financial education for civil servants, including those approaching retirement.
She said the government was working to improve the welfare of civil servants, including access to gratuity and housing, noting that the goal was to ensure workers retire with assets and financial security.
