The Abuja Prosperity and Investment Laboratory (APIL) has introduced a new platform designed to revolutionize the structuring and financing of investment opportunities at the subnational level. The launch occurred during a high-level multi-stakeholder policy roundtable organized by BraveICONS Global (BIG) in partnership with the National Chamber Policy Centre (NCPC).
Bridging the Investment Gap
Mr. Fife Banks, Convener of APIL and Managing Partner of BIG, stated that the initiative was created to close the gap between investment opportunities and capital by enhancing readiness, structuring, and institutional coordination. The platform will develop an initial portfolio of opportunities, assess investment readiness in Abuja, map key stakeholders across various sectors, and produce a baseline report to guide investment planning.
Banks explained: “The platform will concentrate on identifying viable opportunities, improving investment readiness, supporting project preparation and structuring, and strengthening alignment between public institutions and private capital. It contributes to national development by enhancing how investment opportunities are prepared and aligned with capital, potentially leading to increased capital inflows, job creation, infrastructure delivery, and more efficient use of public resources. By addressing gaps in investment readiness and coordination, it supports stronger economic growth and improves Nigeria’s ability to attract and deploy both domestic and foreign investment.”
Implementation and Pilot
Banks revealed that a working group would be established to drive implementation. Abuja will serve as the pilot location, with the model expected to be refined and scaled to other subnational entities later. He added, “APIL is designed to prevent viable opportunities from failing due to weak preparation, misalignment, or inadequate structuring.”
One of the major outcomes of the roundtable was the recognition that investment mobilization must shift from policy ambition to disciplined execution. To support this transition, APIL will adopt a structured process to track opportunities from identification through readiness, structuring, and investment, culminating in measurable outcomes. Banks emphasized that APIL is not a funding vehicle but a structured execution platform aimed at improving how capital is deployed into real, investable opportunities.
The unveiling marks the beginning of a coordinated, implementation-focused effort to strengthen systems that attract, structure, and channel investment into viable projects at the subnational level. The diverse participation at the roundtable underscored the need for coordinated, cross-sector approaches to investment mobilization.
Banks recalled that the roundtable was part of APIL’s broader mandate to design practical models that can be effectively implemented to mobilize investment at the subnational level. Participants included representatives from government institutions, investment promotion agencies, financial institutions, development partners, diplomatic missions, academia, and the private sector.
