Lagos State is set to host what officials describe as the largest gathering of foreign investors from Commonwealth nations, following a landmark partnership with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC).
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and CWEIC Chief Executive Officer, Samantha Cohen, formalised the collaboration on Thursday with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at the State House in Marina.
The agreement paves the way for the 2026 Lagos Trade and Investment Summit, tagged “Invest in Lagos 3.0,” scheduled to hold in June at the Eko Hotels & Suites Convention Centre.
No fewer than 600 high-level delegates including development finance institutions, sovereign wealth funds, multinational corporations and structured finance specialists — are expected at the two-day summit.
The Commonwealth comprises 56 countries with a combined population of 2.7 billion and a GDP valued at $14.2 trillion, projected to rise to $20 trillion by 2029. CWEIC, its private sector arm, operates across 35 countries with Lagos serving as one of its investment hubs.
Sanwo-Olu described the summit as a transaction-driven platform rather than a ceremonial gathering.
“Invest Lagos 3.0 is not going to be a ceremonial gathering. It is expected to be a transaction-focused investment platform built for capital alignment and project conversion,” the governor said.
He added that the initiative reflects Lagos’ ambition to position itself as a competitive sub-national economy capable of attracting and converting global capital into measurable growth.
According to the governor, Lagos will showcase investment-ready projects spanning transport infrastructure, rail and port logistics, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, housing, healthcare, and industrial growth corridors.
He emphasised that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which account for over 70 per cent of economic activity in the state, would remain central to the strategy, with deliberate efforts to catalyse scalable private sector participation across value chains.
Cohen noted that Nigeria represents the Commonwealth’s strongest network outside the United Kingdom, highlighting the “Commonwealth Advantage” — an estimated 21 per cent cost efficiency in trade among member countries due to shared legal systems, language and institutional familiarity.
She said the upcoming summit aligns with Lagos State’s T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda and Development Plan 2052, and that CWEIC would deploy its global network to attract a diverse pool of investors to Lagos.
The event will feature plenary sessions, business roundtables, a Deal Room for structured matchmaking, closed-door CEO meetings with the governor, gala dinners and site visits.
Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Banda-Ambrose, described the partnership as coming at a defining moment in Lagos’ economic evolution.
“Global capital now gravitates toward jurisdictions that demonstrate credible leadership, institutional clarity and bankable project pipelines. Lagos recognises this shift and has positioned itself to compete effectively,” she said.
With the summit expected to draw one of the most concentrated assemblies of capital focused on a single African sub-national economy, Lagos is betting big on structured engagement and measurable investment outcomes to accelerate its growth trajectory.
