Business
AICL Unveils Abuja Investment Summit 2026 to Attract Global Investors
Abuja Investment Summit 2026 will attract investors through strategic MoUs, partnerships and opportunities aimed at boosting FCT economic growth
The Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL) has unveiled plans for the Abuja Investment Summit 2026, a three-day investment expo designed to attract fresh capital, strengthen public-private partnerships and promote economic growth in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.
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Ambassador Maureen P. Tamuno, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of AICL, announced the initiative during a press conference in Abuja on Monday, saying the summit would hold from 5 to 7 August 2026 at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
Themed “Building Nigeria’s Capital: Investment as a Catalyst for Economic Growth,” the summit will bring together investors, government officials, business leaders, development partners and entrepreneurs to explore investment opportunities within the FCT.
Tamuno described the event as more than an annual gathering, saying it was designed as a strategic platform to position Abuja as Nigeria’s leading investment destination by connecting investors with viable opportunities and encouraging collaboration between government and the private sector.
“ABIS 2026 is designed to translate this progress into practical investments, partnerships and measurable economic outcomes,” she said.
She added that the initiative supports the infrastructure-driven transformation agenda of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at improving Nigeria’s competitiveness as an investment destination.
According to Tamuno, Abuja has recorded growing investor confidence alongside recent infrastructure development. She referenced the 2025 Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Subnational Ease of Doing Business Report, which ranked the FCT fourth among Nigeria’s 37 subnational entities.
A major highlight of the summit will be the signing of strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between AICL and participating organisations.
The agreements are expected to focus on investment promotion, digital payment systems, tax compliance awareness, small and medium enterprise development, revenue generation and market expansion.
Tamuno said the identities of the organisations involved would be announced during the event, adding that the partnerships were designed to create long-term economic benefits beyond the summit.
“One major highlight of this year’s Expo will be the signing of strategic Memoranda of Understanding. These partnerships are designed to strengthen investment promotion, digital payments, tax compliance awareness, SME development, revenue generation and market expansion,” she said.
The summit will begin with registration on 4 August before the official opening ceremony on 5 August, which will be led by the FCT Minister.
The opening session will feature a keynote address by the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Dr Emomotimi Agama.
Activities planned for the event include investment exhibitions, business-to-business networking, policy discussions, deal-making sessions and conversations around sustainable revenue generation, enterprise growth and cross-border investment partnerships.
The second day will focus on youth entrepreneurship, innovation, artificial intelligence, sports, renewable energy, infrastructure and creative industry opportunities, while the final day will highlight women in leadership, enterprise development, education, mentorship and policymaking.
The closing keynote address will be delivered by Ghana’s Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration), Nana Oye Bampoe Addo.
Tamuno said the summit is expected to attract international investors, diplomats, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, researchers, women-led businesses, youth innovators and policymakers.
She identified several investment opportunities available in Abuja, including the Abuja Film Village project, renewable energy initiatives, compressed natural gas (CNG), electric vehicle investments and hospitality-related public-private partnerships.
According to her, the Abuja Film Village could transform the capital into a major creative industry hub while creating employment opportunities across filmmaking, fashion, hospitality and related sectors.
She also highlighted AICL’s renewable energy efforts, including the Utako Farmers’ Market project, which operates independently of the national electricity grid, as an example of the investment potential within sustainable infrastructure.
Reflecting on AICL’s growth, Tamuno said the organisation has evolved from creating awareness about its mandate to becoming a recognised investment facilitation agency for local and international partners.
She recalled earlier engagements with ambassadors from about 40 countries aimed at showcasing Abuja’s investment opportunities and encouraging diplomatic support for private sector participation.
“What will be different this year is that for the first time, we are signing multiple MoUs during the Expo. We’ve done agreements before, but this edition will showcase those partnerships publicly,” she said.
AICL’s entrepreneurship support programme will also feature prominently during the summit. Tamuno said previous beneficiaries have expanded their businesses, created jobs and gained access to mentorship and investment opportunities.
Chief Investment Officer of AICL, Abiodun Akanbi, said the intervention programme has produced measurable results, with beneficiaries using grants and business support to grow their enterprises.
He added that the second edition of the programme would provide increased grant funding, stronger mentorship opportunities and greater connections with enterprise development agencies and investors.
About 60 finalists are expected to participate in this year’s intervention programme, where they will showcase their products and share experiences from previous support received through AICL.
Tamuno urged investors, development partners, diplomatic missions, universities, professional organisations and the media to participate in the summit, stressing that Abuja’s investment potential should receive wider attention.
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“Abuja is open for business, Abuja is ready for investment, and Abuja is ready to lead,” she said.
TotalEnergies and Nigerian independent energy company AMNI International have taken the Final Investment Decision on the $800 million Ima Gas Project, more than five decades after the gas field was discovered.
The Ima Gas Project, located in shallow waters across Oil Mining Leases 112 and 117 near Bonny Island, Rivers State, is expected to begin production in 2028 and reach a plateau of 350 million cubic feet of gas per day.
The development is expected to play a major role in supplying feed gas to Nigeria LNG, with the Ima field projected to provide about one-third of the additional gas required for the ongoing Train 7 expansion.
Train 7 is expected to increase Nigeria LNG’s liquefaction capacity from 22 million tonnes per annum to 30 million tonnes per annum, strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to process and export liquefied natural gas.
The Ima field was discovered in 1973 but remained undeveloped for more than 50 years. The Final Investment Decision provides the commercial and financial basis for finally developing the long-dormant resource.
Under the development plan, TotalEnergies will operate the project with a 40 per cent interest, while AMNI will hold the remaining 60 per cent.
The field will be developed using a single offshore platform connected to Nigeria LNG’s facility on Bonny Island through a 22-kilometre pipeline.
TotalEnergies said its investment in the project is more than $600 million, while the Federal Government described the overall Final Investment Decision as an $800 million investment.
At the FID signing ceremony in Abuja, TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Nigeria Managing Director, Mathieu Bouyer, described the decision as the culmination of a development process that had stretched across several decades.
He said the project reflected increased confidence in Nigeria’s investment environment and highlighted reforms targeting the non-associated gas sector as part of the factors that helped make the development commercially viable.
President Bola Tinubu welcomed the investment, saying the project demonstrated the potential of reforms introduced to reduce the cost and time required to develop oil and gas projects.
The President said the government had introduced incentives aimed specifically at unlocking onshore and shallow-water gas projects that had remained undeveloped for years.
He said the Ima development would create opportunities for Nigerian businesses, engineers, technicians and contractors, while generating jobs, economic activity in host communities and additional export earnings.
The project is also expected to have a strong Nigerian content component. TotalEnergies said all key contractors for the development would be Nigerian companies, while about 60 per cent of the workforce during the development phase is expected to come from host communities.
The development will incorporate measures aimed at reducing emissions. TotalEnergies said the platform would receive electricity from shore, operate without routine flaring and use permanent methane detection and monitoring systems.
The Federal Government said the project is part of efforts to turn Nigeria’s large natural gas reserves into productive assets capable of supporting industrialisation, energy supply, jobs and export earnings.
Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, said the Ima development illustrated the importance of creating commercial and investment conditions that allow previously stranded resources to be developed.
The government also noted that Nigerian financial institutions arranged 77 per cent of the project’s financing, further highlighting the participation of domestic financial institutions in the development.
For Nigeria LNG, the project comes as the company continues work on the Train 7 expansion, which is designed to increase the Bonny Island plant’s liquefaction capacity and strengthen the country’s position in the global LNG market.
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