President Julius Maada Bio and leading business and financial figures have reviewed plans to deepen private-sector participation and investment in West Africa ahead of the inaugural West Africa Integration and Investment Summit in Sierra Leone.

Table Of Content

Focus on priority sectors
Calls for stronger investment conditions
Summit planned for November

Bio attended the inaugural physical meeting of the summit’s Private Sector Advisory Board in Lagos, hosted by Tony O. Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Holdings and co-chair of the summit. The meeting brought together representatives from business, government and financial institutions to examine ways of advancing regional integration and unlocking investment opportunities.

Focus on priority sectors

Discussions covered energy trade and industrialisation, strategic minerals, agribusiness and digital transformation. Participants also considered how to strengthen regional value chains in agriculture, mineral processing, energy infrastructure and technology.

According to the meeting’s discussions, greater cooperation in these areas could help reduce reliance on imports, support local manufacturing and improve the region’s international competitiveness. The gathering also focused on connecting investors with commercially viable projects and addressing barriers to investment.

Bio urged closer cooperation between governments, private investors and financial institutions. He said West Africa’s resources and consumer market of more than 400 million people provided a strong foundation, but that those advantages needed to be converted into productive enterprises, competitive industries, regional value chains, jobs and wealth.

“We are partners in execution; let us transform ideas into partnerships, partnerships into investments and investments into lasting prosperity for our continent,” Bio told participants.

Calls for stronger investment conditions

Elumelu said African businesses should work across national borders by combining financial resources, technical expertise and commercial experience. He also stressed that private-sector investment required supportive government policies and a predictable business environment.

“Governments must provide the policy certainty, regulatory efficiency and security required to give investors the confidence to commit capital for the long term,” Elumelu said.

He indicated that he was ready to work with the Africa Finance Corporation, the African Export-Import Bank, United Bank for Africa and Ecobank to mobilise investment for priority development projects.

Elumelu also linked the effort to job creation, saying, “This is consistent with our aspirations to create jobs for our young people.” He added, “We have all it takes to be prosperous.”

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu highlighted industrial expansion and the unrestricted movement of goods and services across borders as important elements of meaningful economic integration.

Summit planned for November

Bio urged members of the Advisory Board to identify investment-ready projects, engage prospective financiers, assess financing needs and address challenges that could delay implementation. He said the initiative’s success should be judged by the investments secured, businesses established and employment opportunities generated.

The West Africa Integration and Investment Summit is scheduled for 17 and 18 November 2026 at the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Lungi, Sierra Leone.

The two-day gathering is expected to bring together heads of state, senior government officials, international investors, financial institutions and business executives. Sierra Leone’s hosting of the summit is intended to support regional investment discussions and the development of economic partnerships.