President Bola Tinubu is set to use the ongoing Africa CEOs Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, to further promote Nigeria’s economic reforms and attract strategic investments into the country, the Presidency has announced.
The forum, regarded as the largest gathering of private sector leaders on the continent, provides Nigeria with a strategic platform to showcase the progress of its economic reforms and reinforce investor confidence in Africa’s largest economy.
The 2026 edition of the forum, organized by Jeune Afrique Media Group in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), is taking place in Kigali from May 14 to 15. It features more than 2,800 business leaders, investors, and policymakers from over 90 countries.
Tinubu arrived in Kigali on Wednesday after concluding a similar investment-focused engagement in Nairobi, Kenya, where he met with global investors and business leaders to discuss Nigeria’s economic outlook and reform agenda.
The Presidency stated that Tinubu’s participation in the Kigali summit aligns with his administration’s broader economic diplomacy strategy, aimed at positioning Nigeria as a preferred investment destination in Africa.
Presidential spokesman Abdulaziz Abdulaziz said economic diplomacy remains a key pillar of the administration’s efforts to achieve sustainable growth and expand economic opportunities for Nigerians. According to him, Tinubu has consistently taken direct responsibility for promoting Nigeria’s economic potential on the global stage through engagements with investors, multinational corporations, and development partners.
Aso Villa noted that in an increasingly interconnected global economy, countries must deliberately market their reforms, strengths, and investment opportunities to attract capital, deepen trade relations, and remain competitive. It further argued that international engagements by national leaders have become critical tools for strengthening investor confidence, improving global perception, and translating economic reforms into tangible economic opportunities.
Abdulaziz emphasized that the President’s international investment engagements were not ceremonial trips but strategic platforms designed to market Nigeria’s reforms and reassure investors about the country’s economic direction.
The Presidency highlighted key reforms undertaken by the administration, including foreign exchange unification, fiscal adjustments, and regulatory reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business and enhancing transparency in the economy. It also pointed to renewed investor interest in Nigeria’s oil and gas, mining, and renewable energy sectors, noting that recent policy measures have helped restore confidence among global investors.
Tinubu is expected to participate in a high-level conversation with Nicholas Norbrook during the second day of the forum, where he will further outline his administration’s economic vision and investment priorities.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said the President’s bilateral meetings with global investors, development finance institutions, and African leaders were already yielding fresh investor interest in key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the summit, Dare described the President’s schedule as intensive and investment-focused, with discussions centered on energy, infrastructure, transportation, mining, and ports development.
“The President has had a very eventful and busy day,” Dare said. “We started at the plenary session where speeches were delivered by the Managing Director of IFC, the President of Rwanda, and other top financial leaders on scaling up investment in Africa. Our President participated fully.”
According to him, Tinubu later held extensive talks with officials of the IFC on deepening collaboration in housing, transportation, energy, and infrastructure development. “The issues discussed were around energy, housing, transportation, and infrastructure development,” he stated.
Dare disclosed that the President also met with APM Terminals, a ports development company already operating in Nigeria, which expressed interest in expanding its investments in the country.
