Sanwo-Olu Unveils Invest in Lagos Summit 3.0 to Drive Capital Flows, Infrastructure, Trade

By: Olufemi Orunsola, Israel Adeleke 

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Lagos State Government has unveiled the 2026 Invest in Lagos Summit 3.0, positioning the state to attract and structure global capital flows while accelerating infrastructure development, trade integration and financial innovation.

OTN News further reports that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced the summit on Thursday at Lagos House, Marina, alongside the Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, Samantha Cohen. The summit is scheduled to hold on June 9 and 10, 2026.

Speaking at the unveiling, Sanwo-Olu said the summit is designed to move Lagos beyond attracting investment discussions to building deployable, bankable investment pipelines aligned with the state’s long-term development priorities.

“Our ambition is clear,” the governor said, adding that “Lagos must not only attract capital but also structure it. The city must convert investment conversations into deployable pipelines. Invest Lagos 3.0 aligns directly with our T.H.E.M.E.S+ Development Agenda and the Lagos State Development Plan 2052.”

He explained that the first two editions of the summit significantly boosted Lagos’ global investment visibility, facilitated structured engagement with international capital providers and deepened strategic discussions around bankable projects across priority sectors. 

According to him, the expanded partnership with CWEIC is expected to further extend Lagos’ global reach, mobilise long-term capital, deepen cross-border trade and strengthen the state’s position as Africa’s leading sub-national investment destination.

Sanwo-Olu noted that Invest Lagos 3.0 is not merely a convening forum but a growth acceleration mechanism aimed at driving private sector investment, stimulating enterprise development, expanding value chains, broadening the tax base and strengthening fiscal sustainability.

The 2026 summit is expected to attract between 500 and 600 high-level delegates, including global institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions, multinational corporations, structured finance experts, Commonwealth trade networks and senior public sector leaders.

In her remarks, Cohen described Lagos as one of Africa’s most important business hubs, commending the state’s investment readiness and reform trajectory. 

“Lagos has built something exceptional as a CWEIC partner,” she said, adding that “this investment programme enables trade facilitation, and we will bring international investors through the Commonwealth Private Sector Hub across 56 countries.”

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Folashade Bada-Ambrose, said global capital increasingly flows to jurisdictions with credible leadership, strong institutions and clearly defined investment pipelines. She stressed that Invest Lagos 3.0 is structured to deliver measurable outcomes.

According to her, the summit will result in signed memoranda of understanding, announced investment commitments, defined capital deployment timelines and the establishment of a post-summit investment tracking framework to ensure accountability and execution discipline.

The Invest in Lagos Summit 3.0 reflects the state’s broader strategy to consolidate its position as a preferred investment destination while accelerating infrastructure delivery, expanding trade linkages and sustaining long-term economic growth.