UN Global Compact Forum Addresses Nigeria's Investment Gaps

At the 2026 Chief Executive Officer Forum of the UN Global Compact Network Nigeria, held in Lagos, experts discussed Nigeria's challenge of finding bankable opportunities to attract investment. Naomi Nwokolo, CEO and Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network Nigeria, urged business leaders to focus on actionable solutions for long-term competitiveness and sustainable growth.

Maryam Musa Yahaya, Director-General of the Northwest Governors Forum, highlighted the necessity for state governments to engage investors to address structural issues like power and security. Dauda Lawal, Governor of Zamfara State, presented a 10-year development plan aimed at increasing internally generated revenue from N90 million to approximately N45 billion monthly.

Ini Ebong, Deputy Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria, stressed the importance of treating financial inclusion as critical infrastructure. Adeniyi Falade, Group Chief Operating Officer of Custodian Investment, noted that less than three percent of the pension industry's N32 trillion asset pool is allocated to infrastructure due to a lack of bankable projects.

Carlos Rojas-Arbulú, Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, remarked on the selective nature of global capital.