Lagos official calls for stronger foundations for African tokenisation
Akintayo Sanwo-Olu, special adviser to the Lagos governor, says asset tokenisation will not expand investment without credible institutions, clear regulation and trusted infrastructure. Speaking at GITEX Nigeria, he urged African markets to build on existing financial systems while developing structures suited to local conditions.
Lagos State Governor’s Special Adviser on Corporate Finance and Strategic Investments, Akintayo Sanwo-Olu, has called for stronger financial structures to connect African capital with real-world assets. Speaking at GITEX Nigeria 2026, he said technology alone would not overcome the continent’s structural barriers to investment. His remarks focused on asset tokenisation, which digitally represents physical or traditionally illiquid assets.
Sanwo-Olu said tokenisation could improve access to assets and make them easier to connect with investors, but only where credible institutions, clear rules and trusted market infrastructure existed. He urged African countries to build on existing financial systems rather than attempt to create entirely new structures. He described tokenisation as one part of a broader solution, not an end in itself.
The key challenge, he said, was connecting available capital and assets through effective mechanisms. Sanwo-Olu cited Nigeria’s Investment and Securities Act 2025, which classified digital assets as securities and gave the Securities and Exchange Commission regulatory authority over the sector. He also referred to the SEC’s regulatory incubation programme for digital-asset firms.
He said structure, access, clarity and trust were essential to attracting investment and strengthening Lagos as a financial hub.
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