Global investors, African Ministers set industrial growth agenda at IMT 2026

Regional and international investors, policymakers, development finance institutions and industry leaders will gather in Lagos next month for the West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing & Trade (IMT) Summit and Exhibition 2026, a high-level forum aimed at accelerating industrial growth and manufacturing investment across the region. Scheduled for March 3–5, 2026, at the Landmark Centre, the summit […]

Regional and international investors, policymakers, development finance institutions and industry leaders will gather in Lagos next month for the West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing & Trade (IMT) Summit and Exhibition 2026, a high-level forum aimed at accelerating industrial growth and manufacturing investment across the region.

Scheduled for March 3–5, 2026, at the Landmark Centre, the summit comes at a critical juncture as West African governments shift from macroeconomic stabilisation and trade reforms toward execution-driven industrial expansion, value addition and large-scale job creation.

With the theme, “Accelerating West Africa’s Sustainable Industrial Revolution for Economic Prosperity,” the event is designed as a policy-to-project platform that seeks to convert regional trade opportunities into tangible factory-level investments, resilient value chains and measurable industrial capacity within the next 12 to 18 months.

Organisers say recent policy developments across the region have heightened the urgency for coordinated action.

In Nigeria, the Federal Government’s National Industrial Policy (NIP), unveiled in January 2026, has reinforced the focus on manufacturing competitiveness and local production. At the continental level, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has moved from negotiation to implementation, with stronger emphasis on digital trade, industrialisation and practical delivery.

Together, these initiatives signal a shift in focus from market access to real economic outcomes.

Confirmed participants include Nigeria’s Minister of State for Industry, Sen. John Enoh, alongside industry ministers from Benin, Senegal and Ghana. The summit is also expected to attract government and private sector stakeholders from Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria, China, India, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Canada and more than 15 other countries.

 

Organisers say the breadth of participation underscores growing international confidence in West Africa as an emerging industrial and manufacturing hub.

 

Stakeholders warn that the next 12 to 18 months will be decisive in determining whether regional trade integration translates into real production capacity on the ground.

 

Discussions will centre on four key priorities: aligning national industrial frameworks with AfCFTA rules-of-origin; securing reliable energy and gas solutions for manufacturers; mobilising blended finance and de-risking tools to support medium-scale manufacturers and industrial parks; and reducing cross-border trade costs through practical regulatory reforms.

 

Organisers say the programme has been deliberately structured to move beyond rhetoric.

 

“Ministerial roundtables will be paired with investor-facing sessions and technical deep dives to ensure that political commitments translate into bankable projects, implementable reforms and measurable outcomes,” they said.

 

The summit is expected to serve as a bridge between policy ambition and real-sector execution, positioning West Africa for its next phase of industrial transformation.