Trade summit to unlock multi-billion-dollar investment opportunities across states
Nigeria’s economic landscape is set for a major boost as the Trade Commissioners Summit & Exhibition prepares to unlock multi-billion-dollar investment opportunities across the states.
Convened by Globalafri Diplomat Magazine, the forum, scheduled for December 2 in Lagos, will bring together state trade commissioners, foreign investors, economic diplomats, and industry leaders to drive a new wave of subnational trade and investment partnerships aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s states as global business destinations.
The summit, slated for December 2, 2025, in Lagos, organised as a side event to the Trade Relations Cup™, a golf tournament that celebrates international trade and cooperation, the summit seeks to promote Nigeria’s diverse economic potential and facilitate bilateral engagements between state officials and global business leaders.
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According to Sòókò Deji Ajomale-McWord, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Globalafri Diplomat Magazine, the initiative is designed to “deepen the economic viability of Nigerian states by creating a shared platform for showcasing investment opportunities before the global market.”
He emphasised that while foreign envoys and economic counsellors frequently pay courtesy visits to states, their reach remains limited.
“When states are brought together under one roof to engage with trade diplomats and investors, it creates a stronger, more coordinated channel for advancing economic diplomacy,” Ajomale-McWord said.
According to him, the summit will spotlight three key growth areas: economic free zones, seaports, and critical minerals, pillars seen as essential to Nigeria’s industrial transformation and diversification agenda.
Ajomale-McWord added that discussions around seaports have long dominated Nigeria’s economic debate.
“This summit will help us unpack the truths and myths surrounding regional seaports and their potential to drive balanced development,” he stated.
Beyond trade infrastructure, the summit, he noted, will explore Nigeria’s untapped reserves of critical minerals, which are increasingly vital for global green technologies and advanced manufacturing.
Nigeria’s estimated six million tons of monazite ore, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), position it as a potential powerhouse in the global rare earth minerals market.
Other valuable resources—including columbite-tantalite, zircon, ilmenite, rutile, and bauxite – are found across multiple states and hold strategic promise for diversification away from oil dependence.
He disclosed that the event has secured partnerships with top trade and business institutions such as the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Lekki Free Zone, European Business Chamber Nigeria, and the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade & Investment.
Ajomale-McWord expressed optimism that the forum will not only foster dialogue but drive measurable outcomes that “trickle down to the grassroots and reshape the economic future of Nigerian states.”
