- Global investors have signalled interest in investment deals exceeding $500 million across key Nigerian sectors ahead of the WIEG Investment Summit in Lagos.
- The summit aims to connect capital providers directly with investment-ready businesses while closing funding and policy gaps that slow enterprise growth.
Business stakeholders are targeting more than $500 million in investment deals across the creative sector, small and medium-sized enterprises, energy transition, and aviation. They will pursue these deals at the World Integrated Economic Growth Initiative Investment Summit on February 25 and 26 in Lagos.
Recently, WIEG Investment Summit Lead Consultant Bassey Essien confirmed strong investor participation during a press conference in Lagos. He said about 20 frontline investors have committed to the summit. Most of these investors come from Malaysia and other Asian countries. Therefore, the summit is already attracting global capital attention.
Essien said organisers are launching the summit as the first in a long-term investment series. He said organisers chose the theme, Nigeria’s Next Frontier: Unlocking Sustainable Investments for Economic Transformation, to highlight Nigeria’s economic opportunities. He also described Malaysia as one of Nigeria’s key trading partners.
Furthermore, organisers designed the summit to solve funding challenges facing Nigerian businesses. Many enterprises cannot scale because they cannot access structured funding. Therefore, organisers will bring investors, policymakers, and investment-ready businesses together in one engagement platform.
In addition, organisers have screened MSMEs, cooperatives, and SMEs across priority sectors. Organisers are focusing on the creative industry, agriculture, finance, energy transition, and aviation.
Essien described the creative sector as a major economic driver. The sector contributes about 2.5 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product. Moreover, global investors are increasing funding interest in music, fashion, film, media, advertising, and technology-driven platforms.
Meanwhile, investors are showing strong interest in energy transition opportunities. Nigeria’s power supply challenges continue to increase production costs for businesses. However, renewable energy solutions are already working in parts of the country. As a result, wider renewable deployment will reduce production costs, lower the price of goods, and improve productivity.
In aviation, Essien highlighted major infrastructure gaps. Nigeria lacks aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities. Nigeria also lacks strong commercial air cargo infrastructure. Because of these gaps, airlines currently service aircraft overseas at high costs. Therefore, local aviation investment will reduce operational costs.
Essien also said many SMEs, cooperatives, and women-led businesses still struggle to access structured funding. He said businesses consistently report funding access as their biggest challenge. In addition, many enterprises fail to meet compliance and investment readiness standards.
He explained that many businesses do not invest in professional feasibility studies and investment documentation. He said development finance institutions and top Nigerian banks maintain strict standards. Therefore, businesses must meet these standards to access funding.
Furthermore, Essien said policy inconsistency continues to weaken investor confidence. Weak monitoring of intervention outcomes also affects investor decisions. Therefore, he called for clearer policy implementation and stronger monitoring systems.
Meanwhile, organisers will dedicate the second day of the summit to direct deal-making. Organisers will host sector-based roundtables involving investors, business promoters, lawyers, financial advisers, and policymakers. This structure will allow business leaders to negotiate directly with investors. It will also allow policymakers to resolve regulatory and tax issues immediately.
After the summit, organisers will track deals to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks. Organisers will work with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission to monitor investment progress. This collaboration will help ensure smooth execution across sectors.
Finally, organisers are positioning the summit as a private-sector-driven and non-partisan initiative. Organisers aim to support job creation, strengthen women’s economic participation, and improve investor confidence. Essien said the summit will create a direct pathway from policy to capital to enterprise growth. He also said the summit will not create financial pressure on government resources and will instead focus on measurable market outcomes.