West Africa is gearing up for the 9th annual WAPI Summit on November 22, marking a pivotal moment for the region’s real estate leaders. Organized by API Events, the exclusive in-person gathering aims to reshape the narrative and position developers for future success, according to API Events’ Murray Anderson-Ogle.
With Nigeria and Ghana at the forefront, West Africa’s real estate market is showcasing resilience, drawing the attention of both local and international investors across various sub-sectors. More than 250 C-suite players from 10 countries are expected to convene at the Four Points Sheraton, Lagos, on November 22, exploring opportunities across the entire value chain.
This year’s summit boasts a lineup of new speakers, particularly from the international arena, emphasizing the opportunities in Nigeria and Ghana, Africa’s largest and most dynamic markets.
API Events, committed to fostering global and local real estate communities, sees the 9th annual WAPI Summit as a crucial component in driving investment and development across the continent. Dolapo Omidire, CEO of Estate Intel, API Events’ official industry data expert partner, highlights #WAPI Summit 2023 as an excellent opportunity for market players to navigate the challenges of the current real estate landscape.
“While challenges persist, investment activity remains robust. The second half of 2023 has witnessed a record number of development starts, particularly in the residential sector. Despite a slow recovery in office and retail sectors earlier in the year, they are adapting to the effects of a recently devalued Naira and Cedi. Navigating these changes will be crucial for successful real estate investments in West Africa in the coming decade,” says Omidire.
Anderson echoes the sentiment, emphasizing this year’s theme, ‘Rewriting the Narrative – Positioning and Strategies for the Future,’ which delves into the broader macro-economic landscape and its detailed impact on real estate markets.
“This year’s WAPI will focus on providing industry leaders with tools to re-strategize, considering current limitations, creating new opportunities, and positioning themselves at the forefront of the competition. The agenda for this year emphasizes the core fundamentals of the economy and highlights attractive assets for investors, spanning commercial, data centers, logistics, hotels, proptech, and residences, with added networking functions pre and post-event”. Anderson Shared
Tola Akinhanmi, Head of Real Estate for West Africa at Stanbic IBTC, sees a growing opportunity for local and offshore investors in the evolving Nigerian and Ghanaian markets. He notes the sector’s resilience in weathering macro and micro challenges, leading to sustained growth across traditional and emerging asset classes.
Despite this resilience, Akinhanmi acknowledges the need to bolster capital liquidity for continued growth and sophistication in the sector. He emphasizes the importance of deepening institutional investors and developers’ involvement to optimize the investment cycle.
Murray Anderson-Ogle concludes optimistically, stating, “We look forward to welcoming hundreds of developers and investors in-person on November 22 to explore more ways of unlocking development and capital for further growth and development in Nigeria and West Africa.” With over 100 companies represented and featuring a stand-alone Hospitality Forum, Cocktails, and more, this year’s event underscores the growing interest in Nigeria and Ghana’s real estate markets for investors and developers.
About the WAPI Summit | November 22:
Established as the region’s premier real estate gathering, the 9th annual WAPI Summit on November 22, 2023, will take place live from Lagos. Connecting international capital with local opportunities and players, the summit will host over 60 speakers and 250 attendees in an exclusive in-person format. While sessions are not available online, delegates can still participate by registering at www.wapisummit.com.
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