LAGOS TO HOST LARGEST COMMONWEALTH INVESTORS’ SUMMIT IN JUNE, OUTLINES INVESTMENT PRIORITIES
..•Sanwo-Olu, CWEIC chief sign MoU on summit
In June, Lagos State will host the largest gathering of foreign investors from Commonwealth member countries. This follows the formalisation of a strategic partnership between the State Government and the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), on Thursday.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and CWEIC Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Samantha Cohen, signed Memorandum of Understanding at a joint press conference held at the State House in Marina, where both partners announced the hosting of 2026 Lagos Trade and Investment Summit tagged “Invest in Lagos 3.0”.
The collaboration, the Governor noted, reflected the State’s response to evolving global capital market realities, testifying to his administration’s commitment to position Lagos as a competitive sub-national economy capable of attracting, structuring, and converting investment into measurable growth.
No fewer than 600 investors, including development finance institutions, from across the Commonwealth countries are expected to attend the two-day summit billed to be held at Eko Hotels Convention Centre in Victoria Island.
The Commonwealth comprises 56 countries with a combined population of 2.7 billion and a GDP of $14.2 trillion. This is projected to reach $20 trillion by 2029. CWEIC, its private sector arm, has 150 strategic partners in 35 countries and investment hubs across the Commonwealth nations, including Lagos — Nigeria’s commercial capital.
Sanwo-Olu said CWEIC’s partnership embodied shared commitment to structured capital mobilisation, disciplined project presentation, and measurable transaction outcomes, adding that “Invest Lagos 3.0” would offer not just as a convening platform for Commonwealth investors, but also an economic growth acceleration mechanism.
Through the collaboration, Sanwo-Olu said Lagos would be strengthening its capacity to mobilise global capital, deepen cross-border trade relationships, and position itself as a premier destination for large-scale, transformative investment.
To maximise the benefits of the summit, the Governor said ‘Invest in Lagos 3.0” had been structured around core strategic objectives, including global profiling of Lagos International Financial Centre as a world-class financial gateway capable of serving regional and international capital flows, while creating structured access channels for domestic enterprises seeking growth capital.
Sanwo-Olu said Lagos would showcase bankable and investment-ready projects across priority sectors, while also facilitating structured investment matchmaking through a curated transaction-conversion mechanism designed to connect project sponsors with capital providers.
Cohen said Nigeria remained Commonwealth’s strongest network outside the UK, noting that the collaboration offered Lagos an advantage of up to 21 per cent to do business cheaper with Commonwealth member countries because of shared legal systems, language and trusted relationships.
She said the first edition of “Invest in Lagos” enabled the State to establish a structured, credible destination for international investment. The second edition, Cohen pointed out, gave Lagos the opportunity to deepen its investment narrative with focused thematic sector engagement.
Cohen said the summit would feature plenary sessions, business roundtable, Deal Room, closed-door bilateral between CEOs and Governor, dinner and site visits.
Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Banda-Ambrose, said the collaboration came at a “defining moment” in Lagos’ growth journey, stressing that the effort would deepen investment inflows, stimulate private sector expansion, and accelerate economic transformation in Lagos.