Nigeria co-hosts Investopia with UAE in February —Tinubu
Abdullateef Fowewe
President Bola Tinubu, has announced on Tuesday that Nigeria will co-host the Investopia investment forum with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Lagos next month, spotlighting a bold push to draw global capital into sustainable projects.
This was made known in a statement obtained on Tuesday from Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy.
The revelation came during the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), where Nigeria and the UAE also finalised a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), Dailyeconomy reports.
This pact targets deeper ties in renewable energy, infrastructure, logistics, digital trade, aviation, agriculture, and climate-smart infrastructure.
Signing the deal alongside Tinubu were UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment Dr Jumoke Oduwole, and UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.
Tinubu hailed the CEPA as “a historic and strategic agreement that will create enduring opportunities for the people of the two countries.”
He positioned Investopia as a powerhouse event uniting “investors, innovators, policymakers, and business leaders to transform opportunities into commitment and ideas into investment.”
At the summit, Tinubu outlined Nigeria’s drive to secure up to $30 billion annually in climate and green industrial finance.
He stressed the nation’s energy transition reforms, including nationwide electricity expansion, while critiquing global finance norms.
“The foundation of every modern economy is electricity,” Tinubu declared.
“As an emerging economy in the Global South, we understand the delicate balance between industrialisation and decarbonisation, ensuring neither is pursued at the expense of the other.”
He called for “a fundamental shift in the global financial architecture: a move away from the restrictive requirement of sovereign guarantees, which unfairly penalise developing economies. Instead, the focus should be on blended finance and first-loss capital mechanisms that allow private sustainable capital flows directly into our green projects.”
Tinubu spotlighted key reforms like the National Carbon Market Activation Policy, National Carbon Registry, and Electricity Act 2023, which decentralises power to underserved areas.
He touted a $500 million distributed renewable energy fund from the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and a $750 million World Bank program to reach 17.5 million people with clean power.
Nigeria reaffirmed its net-zero emissions goal by 2060 under the Energy Transition Plan.
The president invited investors into Nigeria’s lithium and critical minerals sectors, emphasising local processing.
He pointed to economic wins, including 21% non-oil export growth and over $50 billion in commitments.
“These reforms, alongside wider fiscal and monetary measures, are delivering results.
“Non-oil exports have grown by 21 per cent. We are ready to work with partners across the world to ensure that the next era of development is not only green and inclusive, but just and enduring,” said Tinubu.
Tinubu wrapped with an open call, “We warmly invite our partners to join us and help build the next chapter of sustainable and shared prosperity for Nigeria, Africa, and the world.”
