CSCS Launches Smart Custodian Portal to Digitize Capital Market Operations

Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Managing Director and CEO of CSCS Plc.

In a quiet, yet transformative move that could reshape how custodians engage with Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure, the Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS) has launched its Custodian Portal—a robust, purpose-built digital platform that promises to streamline operations, boost transparency, and deepen market efficiency.

For decades, custodians in Nigeria’s capital market have operated through a patchwork of processes—some digital, many manual—navigating the complexities of trade confirmations, portfolio management, document tracking, and regulatory compliance. But with the unveiling of this new platform, CSCS is signaling the start of a new chapter—one defined by automation, real-time access, and seamless collaboration.

“Digital transformation remains at the core of our strategy,” says Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Managing Director and CEO of CSCS Plc. “The Custodian Portal is a significant leap in that direction, offering custodians a centralized platform to manage critical processes in real-time.”

Indeed, the portal feels like a long-awaited evolution for Nigeria’s capital market. It is designed with both scale and simplicity in mind—enabling users to track stock movements across custom date ranges, search client symbols, manage share transfers, download reports in multiple formats, and communicate securely through an integrated inbox. These tools, once disparate, are now unified on a platform that’s secure, intuitive, and accessible via flexible subscription options.

From a journalist’s lens, the launch reflects more than just a technological upgrade—it is a reflection of Nigeria’s larger push toward modernizing its financial services landscape. The integration of secure payment channels like GTPay and Paystack, along with strong cybersecurity infrastructure, indicates a serious investment in user trust and operational integrity.

But what makes this moment particularly striking is the broader vision behind it. As Tobe Nnadozie, Divisional Head of Business Technology and Digital Innovation at CSCS, explains:

“The Custodian Portal aligns with CSCS’s drive to automate the market. It forms part of an omnichannel digital strategy, including API services and integration with market-wide workflows for secure approvals and communication.”

That vision isn’t just aspirational—it’s already in motion. All custodians operating within Nigeria’s capital market ecosystem have now been onboarded onto the platform. The significance? A unified, digital-first approach to managing back-office operations—a long-standing bottleneck in financial markets globally—is finally gaining ground in Nigeria.

For an industry that has often grappled with fragmented systems and inconsistent digital adoption, CSCS’s Custodian Portal marks a turning point. It is a recognition that efficiency and innovation are no longer optional—they are essential to competing in a globalized investment environment.

Reflecting on CSCS’s evolution helps put this innovation into perspective. Once focused largely on dematerializing share certificates and shortening settlement cycles, CSCS has quietly built the digital scaffolding for a more agile, data-driven capital market. From real-time updates and investor tools to advanced cybersecurity and API-led integration, the institution is shaping not just the how of financial operations—but the why.

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