By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor has presented Lagos as a Strategic Gateway for Global Investment into Africa, calling for stronger partnerships that will translate the Continent’s growing international attention into tangible Economic opportunities for Lagosians and investors.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made the call while speaking at the Global Africa Business Initiative’s Unstoppable Africa 2026 in New York, where Global Business Leaders, Investors, Policymakers and Heads of Government converged to examine pathways for powering African businesses, scaling Economies and shaping the continent’s Economic future.
The 2026 edition was held on September 20 and 21 at the New York Marriott Marquis, on the sidelines of the opening of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The Governor’s participation, facilitated by the Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Bada Ambrose-Medebem, reinforced the Lagos State Government’s deliberate drive to deepen international investment partnerships and strengthen the State’s position as a leading destination for Business, Trade and Investment in Africa.
A key highlight of the engagement was the successful inclusion of Invest Lagos, the flagship investment promotion initiative of the Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, in the Governor’s remarks at the global event.
Being a business-centric Ministry, it is imperative for MCCTI to prominently feature in the Governor’s address, thus underscoring Lagos’ investment proposition to the high-level audience of Global Investors and Business Leaders.
While addressing the high-level audience, Governor Sanwo-Olu outlined the scale and possibilities of Lagos, a State of more than 22 million people, whose expanding Market, Infrastructure needs, Entrepreneurial base and Strategic positions offer significant opportunities for investors seeking to participate in Africa’s growth.
He emphasised that Lagos’ Global relevance must translate into practical benefits at home, with investment directed towards Infrastructure, Transportation, Healthcare, Enterprise development and other sectors capable of improving the quality of life, while expanding Economic opportunities for residents.
According to the Governor, Lagos is pursuing a development agenda that balances ambitious long-term growth with the everyday needs of its people, while creating the conditions for businesses to establish, expand and compete.
Sanwo-Olu also used the platform to reaffirm the State’s openness to International Capital, Strategic Partnerships and Private Sector participation, stressing that the objective is to build Partnerships that deliver measurable Economic value and create opportunities across the Lagos Economy.
The engagement represents a strategic continuation of the Lagos State Government’s investment promotion Agenda following the successful Invest Lagos 3.0 summit held in Lagos, in the month of June under the theme, “Lagos: The Business Gateway to Africa.”
Invest Lagos 3.0 brought together Global Investors, Policymakers, development institutions, and business leaders to explore investment opportunities across Infrastructure , Manufacturing, Technology, Trade, Finance, and the Creative Economy.
The platform featured investment showcases and structured deal-making opportunities, further positioning Lagos as a destination for Global capital.
The Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Bada Ambrose-Medebem, said the Ministry would continue to convert the State’s investment narrative into sustained engagement with Investors, Businesses and Institutions across Global Markets.
Reiterating MCCTI’s positioning as an Enterprise-centric outfit, the Commissioner stated that the Invest Lagos initiative is a direct reflection of her Ministry’s unwavering commitment to enhancing strategic business patterns across all sectors of the Lagos Economy.
She explained that the initiative was designed not merely as an event, but as a deliberate, structured mechanism for aligning the State’s investment opportunities with the operational interests of businesses, ensuring that every sector of the Lagos Economy – from Manufacturing and Technology to Trade, Energy, Finance, Agriculture, Real Estate and the Creative Economy – benefits from a coordinated, business-driven approach to investment promotion.
According to her, the Ministry’s business-centric orientation means that investment facilitation in Lagos is approached from the standpoint of the investor and the entrepreneur, with MCCTI positioned as a Proactive Enabler rather than a mere Regulator.
Mrs. Ambrose-Medebem noted that this approach has shaped the design of Invest Lagos, which prioritises deal-making, investor matchmaking, and sector-specific engagement over rhetoric, thereby ensuring that global interest in Lagos is systematically converted into Bankable projects, Productive Partnerships and measurable Economic Outcomes.
She emphasised that the Ministry’s mandate is firmly centred on expanding Commerce, Strengthening Trade and Investment flows, supporting Enterprise development and creating a Business Environment in which Investors can identify Opportunities, Build Partnerships and operate with confidence.
The HC of MCCTI added that the Ministry will continue to build on the momentum generated by Invest Lagos 3.0 by taking Lagos’ investment proposition to strategic global platforms and connecting investors with opportunities within the State’s priority sectors, while sustaining the business-centric philosophy that underpins the initiative.
