By Correspondent
As part of a renewed push to draw in foreign investors and speed up sustainable investment inflows into the nation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, that Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would co-host Investopia in Lagos in February.
President Tinubu made this declaration during the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), during which Nigeria and the UAE signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to expand trade and collaboration in the areas of digital trade, infrastructure, renewable energy, and logistics.
In addition to strengthening collaboration in aviation, logistics, agriculture, and climate-smart infrastructure, CEPA, according to President Tinubu, is a historic and strategic agreement that will create long-term prospects for the citizens of both nations.
Investopia will bring together investors, innovators, policymakers, and business leaders to turn ideas into investment and opportunities into commitment.
He cordially asked Nigeria’s allies to join him in creating the next phase of shared and sustained prosperity for the continent, Africa, and Nigeria.
President Tinubu revealed that as Nigeria speeds up energy-transition reforms and increases access to electricity across the country, the country hopes to raise up to $30 billion a year in climate and green industrial funding.
“The foundation of every modern economy is electricity. 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.
“We are calling 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 without further straining national balance sheets,” he said.
He urged a change away from the limiting requirement of sovereign guarantees, which sometimes disadvantage developing economies, and called for reforms in the global financial architecture.
“Instead, the focus should be on blended finance and first-loss capital mechanisms that allow private sustainable capital flows directly into our green projects without further straining national balance sheets,” President Tinubu stated.
The President claimed that by establishing a National Carbon Registry and adopting a National Carbon Market Activation Policy, Nigeria has fortified its climate governance framework. These actions, he added, are intended to increase investor trust and transparency.
One of the main pillars of Nigeria’s energy reforms, he said, is the Electricity Act 2023, which permits decentralized power generation and distribution, especially to marginalized communities.
Nigeria’s climate investment effort, according to Tinubu, includes a $500 million distributed renewable energy fund supported by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and a $750 million World Bank program that is anticipated to increase access to clean electricity for over 17.5 million people.
The president reaffirmed Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2060 and stated that the nation would continue to pursue industrial growth in addition to universal energy access.
Additionally, he emphasized the government’s emphasis on domestic processing and value addition while inviting foreign businesses to collaborate with Nigeria in the lithium and key minerals industry.
Nigeria has seen a 21% increase in non-oil exports, growing capital imports, and over $50 billion in investment commitments across critical industries, Tinubu said, highlighting the effects of continuing economic reforms.
“These reforms, alongside wider fiscal and monetary measures, are delivering results. Non-oil exports have grown by 21 per cent, supported by a more diversified product base. Capital importation has risen, and Nigeria now has over 50 billion dollars in investment commitments across key sectors.
“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,” he said.
Nigeria’s President Tinubu, United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and UAE Minister of Foreign Trade and Talent Attraction and Retention Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi were all present at the signing of the agreement.
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