Nigeria is racing to position itself as a destination for cautious investors from the Gulf states, using the African debut of the UAE-backed Investopia platform in Lagos to pitch its case.
The race comes as geopolitical tensions and energy security concerns force investors to favour markets that offer scale, resilience and long-term growth.
Nigerian officials say recent reforms and closer ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are helping the country meet that test.
“We cannot extrapolate our growth by clapping alone. We need foreign direct investment,” Jumoke Oduwole, minister of industry, trade and investment, said at the conference, describing the Gulf as a natural partner.
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The Lagos meeting follows the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Nigeria and the UAE, a framework officials say is already reshaping investment conversations.
Investors from the UAE are targeting sectors where Nigeria is seen as ready to absorb capital, including infrastructure, energy, agriculture, technology and critical minerals.
Jean Fares, chief executive officer of Investopia, said the decision to hold its first African edition in Nigeria was part of a readjustment of investment priorities.
“Capital is becoming more selective,” Fares said, as “geoeconomic pressures” push investors to reassess risk and focus on long-term fundamentals rather than short-term cycles.
In that environment, he said Nigeria’s size and reform trajectory stand out.
“Africa in general, and Nigeria in particular, are increasingly meeting these criteria,” he said while pointing to demographic growth, infrastructure demand and macroeconomic reforms.
For the Nigerian government, the focus is now on follow-through. Oduwole said investment announcements are tracked against actual inflows using central bank data, national statistics and employment metrics, arguing that infrastructure spending in particular produces visible and measurable spillovers. “The multiplier effect of construction is tangible, it is quantifiable,” she said.
State governments are being drawn more closely into the effort as projects ultimately sit within specific regions.
Lagos State hosted the Investopia meeting, and officials said that sub-nationals are increasingly involved in pitching projects and
facilitating investor entry.
Fares said the meeting was “about execution,” with follow-up engagements planned, including the platform’s flagship meeting in Abu Dhabi later in the year.
