The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has urged stockbrokers to uphold the highest level of professionalism and ethical conduct to ensure a fair and transparent market.

The director-general of SEC, Emomotimi Agama, said this in a notice to stockbrokers in Abuja on Sunday.

Mr Agama said upholding ethical conduct was necessary to enable investors to have confidence that intermediaries who managed their wealth were guided by the highest standards of honesty and competence.

He said digitisation, ethics, and sustainability formed the foundation of a modern, inclusive and resilient capital markets.

“Across the world, capital markets are being reshaped by technological innovation.

”The digital era has introduced new possibilities from online trading platforms and digital assets to data analytics, blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence.

”These innovations are changing how we raise capital, how we invest, and how we supervise,” he said.

The director-general said the commission had embraced technological as an opportunity to enhance efficiency, transparency, and investors’ protection.

”We are also actively engaging with stakeholders including the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, to deepen digital literacy and capacity-building across the market.

”As technology evolves, so must our skills, our ethics, and our shared commitment to fairness and professionalism.

“No amount of innovation can replace the foundational importance of ethics.

”A truly transformative capital market must be built on integrity, transparency, and accountability,” Mr Agama said.

 (NAN)