Globalafri Diplomat has announced plans for the second edition of the Trade Commissioners Summit scheduled for June 26, 2026, at the Afreximbank African Trade Center, in a push to strengthen regional economies and attract foreign investments into Nigeria.
The summit, which debuted in Lagos in 2025, is scheduled to hold at the Afreximbank African Trade Center and sought to convene commissioners of commerce, trade and investment from across Nigeria alongside economic and commercial counsellors from embassies, international organisations, trade finance institutions and investment facilitation agencies.
According to the organisers, the annual gathering is designed to create a strategic platform for Nigerian states and regional blocs to showcase investment opportunities to an international audience comprising diplomats, investors, trade finance experts, development partners and lead arrangers.
This year’s edition is themed, “Deepening Subnational Economic Diplomacy for Development at Regional & State Levels,” reflecting what organisers described as a growing emphasis on decentralised economic growth and increased autonomy for states and regional institutions.
The organisers said the summit would also bring together regional development commissions to explore international cooperation opportunities aimed at accelerating growth, strengthening regional integration and unlocking economic potential at the grassroots level.
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The event is being organised in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs.
Key discussions at the summit would focus on digital trade and e-commerce, energy security, exports, trade facilitation and the development of special economic zones as tools for stimulating industrialisation and attracting foreign direct investment.
As part of activities lined up for the summit, organisers also announced that the third edition of “The Trade Relations, a corporate golf tournament aimed at celebrating international trade and global industrialisation, will hold on June 27 at the Zuma Rock Golf Resort.
Sòókò Deji Ajomale-McWord, publisher of Globalafri Diplomat and convener of the event, said recent reforms introduced by the current administration indicate a deliberate effort to encourage self-sufficiency among federating states and deepen grassroots development.
He cited the Electricity Act 2023 as one of the reforms empowering states to independently generate and distribute electricity within their territories.
Ajomale-McWord also pointed to the financial autonomy granted to Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, as well as ongoing constitutional amendment efforts aimed at giving states greater control over areas such as regional security, solid minerals and electricity generation.
According to him, these reforms demonstrate attempts to reduce excessive dependence on the federal government and ensure that development reaches local communities more effectively.
“Take a look at the Electricity Act 2023. It has decentralized power generation. States can now generate and distribute electricity to their own communities.
“The 774 local government areas now have direct financial autonomy. Legislation is ongoing. The 1999 Constitution is being reviewed to grant states greater control over regional security, solid minerals and electricity generation,” he said.
He added that the summit was conceived as a contribution toward complementing government efforts at deepening economic inclusion and promoting regional competitiveness.
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