Invest Lagos summit 3.0 to boost capital flows, infrastructure devt, others, Sanwo-Olu

2026-03-17 - 07:16

.As Lagos, CWEIC unveil 2026 prog By Olasunkanmi Akoni Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has unveiled the year 2026 Invest in Lagos Summit 3.0, the state government’s flagship international investment platform, in partnership with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, CWEIC, saying it aimed to consolidate Lagos’ role as Africa’s leading sub-national gateway for capital flows, trade integration, financial innovation, and infrastructure development. Sanwo-Olu, who made the remarks on Thursday, while addressing the media, alongside the CEO, CWEIC, Samantha Cohen, at Lagos House, Marina, revealed that the forthcoming programme is scheduled to hold on 9th and 10th June, 2026. According to Sanwo-Olu, “Our ambition is clear. Lagos must not only attract capital, but it must also structure capital. It must not only host investment conversations, but it must also convert them into deployable pipelines. Invest Lagos 3.0 aligns directly with our long-term development priorities as articulated under the T.H.E.M.E.S+ Development Agenda and the Lagos State Development Plan 2052. “Over the past two editions; Invest Lagos 1.0 and 2.0, we have strengthened Lagos’ global investment visibility, catalysed structured engagement with capital providers, and deepened strategic conversations around bankable projects across priority sectors. This year, we are deliberately scaling the platform further through strategic partnership with CWEIC, a globally respected institution that connects governments, private sector leaders, and capital networks across the Commonwealth of Nations. “With this expanded collaboration, we are strengthening our capacity to mobilise global capital, deepen cross-border trade relationships, and position Lagos State as a premier destination for large-scale, transformative investment. It reflects a shared commitment to structured capital mobilisation, disciplined project presentation, and measurable transaction outcomes.” According to the Governor, beyond capital attraction, the summit is structured to drive sustained private sector investment that expands Gross Domestic Product and strengthens Internally Generated Revenue for Lagos State and Nigeria, as structured investment inflows into productive sectors will generate output, stimulate enterprise growth, deepen value chains, broaden the tax base, and reinforce fiscal sustainability. Invest Lagos 3.0 is therefore positioned not merely as a convening platform, but as an economic growth acceleration mechanism. Sanwo-Olu, explained further that this year’s Summit is expected to convene between 500 and 600 high-level delegates including global institutional investors, sovereign wealth entities, development finance institutions, multinational corporations, structured finance specialists, trade networks across the Commonwealth, and senior public sector leaders from multiple jurisdictions. It will represent one of the most concentrated assemblies of capital, policy influence, and strategic investment interest focused on a single African subnational economy. In her address, the CEO, CWEIC, Samantha Cohen, CVO OBE, described Lagos as the most important city in Africa and Nigeria, about the strongest business network outside the UK. “Lagos has built something exceptional as a CWEIC partner. The State investment programme enables trade facilitation and we will be glad to showcase what Lagos has to offer as we jointly deliver a summit where policy meets capital. We will bring international investors here through the Commonwealth Private sector hub across 56 countries, with 25 partners in Nigeria. We are indeed deeply grateful for trust and partnership,” she said. Earlier, Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Bada-Ambrose affirmed that global capital increasingly gravitates toward jurisdictions that demonstrate credible leadership, institutional clarity, bankable pipelines, disciplined governance, and defined execution frameworks. Bada-Ambrose, added that Invest Lagos 3.0 is designed to produce measurable and documented results that include; signed Memoranda of Understanding, announced investment commitments, defined capital deployment timelines, publication of an official Summit Communiqué, strengthened global positioning of Lagos as a premier investment destination, and the establishment of a post-summit investment tracking and conversion framework to ensure continuity, accountability, and execution discipline.