SEC-Registered Custodians in Nigeria
Every custodian registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria: 5 in total, 5 currently shown as active, straight from SEC's register of capital market operators.
When you invest in a Nigerian mutual fund or any pooled investment scheme, your money and the securities the fund buys are not supposed to sit in the fund manager’s own accounts. They are held by a custodian, a separate SEC-registered institution whose job is to safeguard scheme assets, settle authorised transactions, and keep custody records independent of the manager. That separation is what makes it possible to replace a failing manager without losing the assets.
That protection only works if the custodian itself is registered and in good standing with SEC Nigeria. This page lists all 5 custodians on SEC’s register of capital market operators, so you can confirm that the custodian named in your fund’s factsheet or prospectus actually exists, is registered for custody, and is shown as active.
Custodians are typically bank subsidiaries or large financial institutions, because the role demands balance-sheet strength and settlement infrastructure. The custodian does not choose investments and does not market the fund. If a platform tells you your money is “held by” a big bank name, this list is where you check what that actually means.
All SEC-registered custodians
Tap a custodian to see its full SEC record: status, CAC number, registration date, and contact details.
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How to check your fund’s custodian
- 1Find the custodian’s name in your fund’s factsheet, prospectus, or trust deed. Every SEC-registered collective investment scheme must name one.
- 2Search the name in this list or in our investment safety checker. The record shows SEC account status, CAC number, and registration date.
- 3Cross-check on SEC Nigeria’s own register if anything looks off. The link is on every custodian’s record page.
Frequently asked questions
What does a custodian actually do for my investment?+
The custodian safeguards the scheme’s cash and securities, settles transactions the fund manager authorises, and maintains custody and reconciliation records separate from the manager. It does not choose portfolio investments, guarantee asset prices, or market the fund.
How is a custodian different from a trustee?+
The custodian holds the assets; the trustee watches the operators. The trustee represents unit holders and monitors compliance with the trust deed and SEC rules, while the custodian physically safeguards cash and securities and settles authorised transactions. A well-run fund keeps manager, custodian, and trustee as three separate organisations.
What happens to my money if the fund manager fails?+
Because scheme assets are segregated with the custodian rather than mixed into the manager’s own accounts, the trustee, the custodian, and SEC can reconcile the assets and move them to an approved replacement manager or wind the scheme down in an orderly way.
What if a custodian’s status is not shown as ACTIVE?+
SEC’s register shows an account status for each operator. 5 of the 5 custodians listed here are currently shown as active. A different status is not automatically a scandal, but it is a reason to ask questions before relying on that custodian’s safekeeping.
How current is this list?+
The list is from SEC Nigeria’s public register of capital market operators. A custodian that is removed from SEC’s register drops off this page on the next update.
Educational use only. Registration status is useful for verification but is not investment advice or an endorsement of any operator.