.Says Nigeria must participate and lead the AFCFTA

Dike Onwuamaeze

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has wooed investors to make Nigeria their destination of choice stating that his administration’s policy clarity has attracted $5 billion in new manufacturing, fintech, and energy investments.

Tinubu stated this yesterday when he declared open the Lagos International Trade Fair, where he declared that Nigeria must not only participate in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) but must lead it.

The fair is being organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) with the theme ‘Connecting Businesses, Creating Value’.

According to him, only nations that act with clarity and courage would define the future.

He said that “$5 billion in new manufacturing, fintech, and energy investments attracted through policy clarity and investor engagement.

“Distinguished captains of industry, members of the diplomatic corps, entrepreneurs, innovators, exhibitors from across Nigeria, Africa, and the world, it is with renewed optimism that I declare open the 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair.

“For decades, this fair has stood as a symbol of Nigerian enterprise, creativity, resilience, and an unyielding belief in possibility.

“This year’s fair comes at an extraordinary moment. The global economy is recalibrating, and supply chains are being reimagined. Nations that act with courage and clarity will define the next decade,” the President said.

Commenting on the economic reforms of his administration, Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, said that “over the past two years, we have taken deliberate, sometimes difficult, but necessary steps on fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange unification to restore transparency, rebuild investor trust, and place Nigeria on a sustainable fiscal path.”

He further said, “We Acknowledge the challenges but we refuse to be defined by them.

“But let me be clear: challenges do not define the Nigerian story. Our response to them does.”

Tinubu also wooed investors, saying said that Nigeria is open for business, explaining that Nigeria is restructuring to ensure “stable policies instead of sudden reversals; contracts that are honoured, not revisited; transparent incentives for manufacturers, exporters, and SMEs and digitised ports, one-stop shops for business permits, smarter taxation, and faster dispute resolution.” 

In his remarks during the opening ceremony of the LITF, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babaji Sanwo-Olu, said that the annual gathering is far more than an exhibition but a marketplace of ideas, a theatre of innovation, and a crucible for partnerships that will define the economic future of our state and our nation.

Sanwo-Olu said, “Therefore, let this fair be more than an exhibition. Let it be a launchpad for enterprise, a network for trade, and a commitment to shared prosperity.

“Let it remind us that the true value of Lagos is not just in its ports, or its infrastructure, or its GDP, but in the boundless creativity of its people and their readiness to build, innovate, and lead.

“To our partners across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas: Lagos welcomes you. Invest here, produce here, trade here. The world’s next growth chapter will be written in cities like Lagos that are fast, connected, youthful, and resilient.”

In his welcome address, President of LCCI, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, expressed sincere appreciation to the federal and state governments, who have participated in the trade fair with the top-level representation of the Presidency at all our past editions of the fair.

Idahosa said that the government’s participation in the fair is a tangible demonstration of its commitment to empowering the private sector to produce for local consumption and export.

He added that the fair has also become a veritable platform where state governments and federal parastatals showcase the investment opportunities in their states and their impact programmes.

He said, “The 2025 edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair will run from November 7 to November 16, 2025.

“This period promises to showcase the best of Nigerian entrepreneurship and ingenuity, as well as the diversity and richness of our global economic partnerships.

“The 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair leaps forward in scale, design, and diversity. This year, we proudly introduce a multi-exhibition model, multiple experiences in one grand location, allowing visitors to explore distinct sectors of opportunity within a single, vibrant ecosystem.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to the 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair.

“I see this year’s trade fair igniting new ideas, creating lasting partnerships, and serving as a testament to the power of unity in pursuing economic transformation,” Idahosa said.

​