200 leaders attend first-ever London-Africa business summit

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today hosted City Hall’s first-ever London-Africa business summit, bringing together 200 business and political leaders from across the continent to strengthen trade and investment ties between London and Africa. Held in the heart of the City of London, the summit included the Minister of Trade for Agribusiness and […]

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today hosted City Hall’s first-ever London-Africa business summit, bringing together 200 business and political leaders from across the continent to strengthen trade and investment ties between London and Africa.

Held in the heart of the City of London, the summit included the Minister of Trade for Agribusiness and Industry in Ghana and representatives from SOAS, the Nigerian Exchange Group, Ventures 54 and London Africa Network to showcase London as the global city of choice for African companies looking to expand internationally and attract investment.

The mayor announced the summit during his 2025 trade mission to Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, where he led a delegation to promote London as a global destination for investment.

Since the visit, African businesses have invested more than £30 million into London through foreign direct investment.

At least 117 African organisations are listed on the London Stock Exchange, spanning sectors from telecoms and finance to energy and technology.

Companies include telecoms giant Airtel Africa and energy supplier Seplat Energy.

By comparison, fewer than 20 African organisations are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, underlining London’s deep economic and cultural links with the continent.

The summit builds on growing economic momentum between the UK and Africa. Total UK-Africa trade reached approximately £52 billion in 2025 despite continued global economic uncertainty, while UK exports to Africa increased to nearly £26.2 billion, reflecting rising demand for UK goods and services across African markets.

The UK remains among Africa’s top 10 supplying markets and continues to strengthen trade relationships through agreements covering 18 African countries.

There are also huge community links between the UK and Africa. The UK has the second-largest Nigerian diaspora population, second only to the US, with an estimated 215,000 Nigerians living there.

The Mayor’s London Growth Plan identified the need to attract more foreign direct investment to help grow London’s economy by £107 billion by 2035 and support the creation of 150,000 good jobs by 2028.

London continues to lead as the top destination for African foreign direct investment in Europe and the US, ranking second globally outside Africa behind only Dubai.

The summit also highlighted major opportunities for collaboration across sectors, including financial services, digital technology, education, healthcare, energy transition, infrastructure and the creative industries.

Khan said, “I am proud to host City Hall’s first-ever London-Africa Business Summit, bringing together investors, entrepreneurs and businesses to showcase London as the best city in the world for African companies to expand internationally and attract investment.

“With more African companies listed on the London Stock Exchange than any other exchange, it is one of the most globally important growth regions. I am delighted that my African trade mission last year has encouraged both inward investment and outward expansion, creating jobs and further strengthening the links between us.

“I look forward to more opportunities developing from this Summit as we continue to build a better, more prosperous London for everyone.”

On his part, Mr Mark Smithson, Country Director, UK Department for Business and Trade, Nigeria, and Anglo West Africa said, “As we look to the next chapter, we are deepening partnerships that drive sustainable growth, shared prosperity and long-term opportunity across both regions.

“In Nigeria, we are working closely with key partners, businesses and investors to unlock investment, create jobs and deliver tangible economic outcomes.”