Lagos targets $2.5bn Investment Windfall at Mega Global Summit

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to attract $2.5 billion in local and foreign investments at the forthcoming Invest in Lagos 3.0 Summit, as part of aggressive efforts to strengthen the state’s position as Africa’s leading business and investment hub.

Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Folashade Bada Ambrose-Medebem, disclosed this during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.

The commissioner said the summit, scheduled to hold at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, from June 8 to 10, 2026, would bring together more than 600 high-profile delegates, including global investors, heads of international finance institutions, governors, diplomats, captains of industry and angel investors.

According to her, the summit, themed “The Business Gateway to Africa,” represents the flagship investment promotion platform of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

Ambrose-Medebem explained that the state government, through its partnership with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, CWEIC, was targeting high-impact transactions capable of unlocking major economic opportunities for Lagos.

“Through our partnership with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, the summit is focused on delivering high-impact deals, sustainable development and infrastructure financing totalling $2.5 billion,” she said.

She added that the summit would also serve as a pre-event to the Africa Social Impact Summit, while positioning Lagos as the leading subnational destination for capital flows, infrastructure financing, trade integration and financial innovation on the African continent.

“The Summit is structured to close deals across the principal sectors of the Lagos economy while positioning Lagos as the leading subnational gateway for capital flows, trade integration, financial innovation and infrastructure,” the commissioner stated.

Ambrose-Medebem noted that the initiative aligns with the Lagos State Development Plan 2052 and the Lagos State Industrial Policy 2025–2030, both of which are aimed at transforming Lagos into the manufacturing and commercial powerhouse of Africa.

She further revealed that the government had intensified international investment engagements across Europe and other strategic markets ahead of the summit.

“We are engaging investors across Europe and beyond, and we expect over 600 high-profile delegates comprising leaders of nations, governors of Nigerian states, heads of international finance and multilateral agencies, captains of industry and angel investors,” she added.

The commissioner also highlighted several intervention programmes introduced by the ministry to strengthen Lagos’ business ecosystem, particularly for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs.

According to her, the Lagos State Export Readiness Programme, LASERP, implemented in collaboration with Afreximbank and ImpactHER, trained 253 MSMEs in export readiness, standardisation, digital transformation and international market access.

She disclosed that 20 outstanding participants from the programme were selected as Lagos Trade Champions and fully sponsored by the state government to showcase Made-in-Lagos products at the Intra-African Trade Fair held in Algiers in 2025.

Ambrose-Medebem further stated that the ministry had commenced onboarding accelerator partners for the Lagos State Access to Finance for MSMEs through Cooperatives programme, LASMECO, to expand access to funding for cooperative-based businesses across the state.

She explained that the initiative would pave the way for a statewide application campaign targeting MSMEs seeking financial support.

The commissioner also highlighted the recently unveiled Lagos State Industrial Policy 2025–2030, describing it as a strategic framework designed to reposition Lagos as the manufacturing hub of Africa in response to rapidly evolving global industrial trends.

Reaffirming the commitment of the Sanwo-Olu administration to economic transformation, Ambrose-Medebem said the state government would continue implementing policies aimed at strengthening trade, supporting entrepreneurs, revitalising cooperatives and expanding economic opportunities across both formal and informal sectors.