Algiers/Lagos — Lagos has been nominated as Nigeria’s host city for the 2027 Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), the continent’s flagship marketplace for goods, services and investment. The announcement was made at IATF 2025 in Algiers by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat—a move Lagos officials called a “historic moment for Nigeria and West Africa.”
Responding to the news in Algiers on Friday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the choice underscores Nigeria’s central role in continental integration and Lagos’ standing as a commercial and financial hub. He linked the win to the state’s T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda, recent global showcases—GITEX in Lagos—and the imminent E1 electric boat race, the first in Africa. “We keep making history. It is the Spirit of Lagos at work,” he said, adding that hosting IATF aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda at the federal level.
Folashade Ambrose, Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, framed the nomination as a strategic milestone that will boost intra-African trade, catalyse investment and deepen AfCFTA implementation. Lagos, with 23+ million people, strategic coastal access and a diverse entrepreneurial base, offers an ecosystem for deal-making, policy dialogue and sector showcases from manufacturing and services to fintech, creative industries and logistics.
The state expects over 1,600 exhibitors and 35,000 visitors at IATF 2027, with billions of dollars in potential trade and investment deals—targets aligned with the Lagos State Development Plan 2052. Lagos has already begun mobilising export-ready firms: Ambrose led a 20-SME delegation (from LASERP—the Lagos State Export Readiness Programme) to IATF 2025 in Algiers, delivered the keynote at the SME Pavilion, and participated in the Nigeria Pavilion to build momentum.
Why It Matters
- AfCFTA in action: A West African mega-city hosting IATF helps translate AfCFTA from treaty to transactions—market access, standards, payments, and logistics under one roof.
- SME export lift: Curated buyer–seller meetings, standards clinics and trade-finance windows can graduate Lagos SMEs from domestic champions to regional suppliers.
- FX diversification: More non-oil exports and investment commitments provide hard-currency inflows beyond hydrocarbons.
- Visitor economy: Hotel nights, conferencing, transport and retail will stimulate local services and jobs while showcasing Lagos as a year-round MICE destination.
- Infrastructure catalyst: Hosting drives timelines for venues, mobility, security, digital trade rails and seamless border processes.
By the Numbers (Planning Benchmarks)
- 1,600+ exhibitors projected
- 35,000 visitors/delegates expected
- “Billions of dollars” in trade and investment deals targeted
- Biennial event under Afreximbank/AU/AfCFTA
- 2027: Lagos host year, announced at IATF 2025 (Algiers)
- 23m+ Lagos population; coastal gateway to West Africa
Strategic Priorities for Lagos 2025–2027
- Venues & City Ops: Scalable exhibition space; overflow at partner sites; traffic management, last-mile transit, and water transport links.
- Border/Customs Readiness: AfCFTA-aligned documentation, one-stop clearance for temporary imports (exhibits, equipment), and business e-visa facilitation.
- Trade Finance & Payments: On-site Afreximbank and partner banks for receivables finance, letters of credit, and Pan-African Payments & Settlement options.
- Digital Trade & Standards: E-catalogues, digital matchmaking, rules-of-origin clinics, and quality/standards advisory to convert meetings into contracts.
- SME Pipeline: LASERP cohorts scaled; sector showcases (FMCG, fashion, creative tech, agriprocessing, health/medtech).
- Security & Hospitality: Integrated command, event insurance, crowd flow, and city-branding to deliver a world-class delegate experience.
What to Watch (Milestones)
- T-24 months: Masterplan sign-off (venues, logistics, security, budgeting), vendor onboarding; hotel room-block agreements.
- T-12 months: Exhibitor sales 70%+; confirmed country pavilions; trade-finance products public.
- T-6 months: Visa/entry protocol announcement; buyer missions locked; city ops rehearsal.
- Post-event (T+3 months): Deal-conversion audit and export-pipeline scorecard for Lagos SMEs.
BRANDECONOMY Take
Lagos hosting IATF 2027 is more than prestige—it’s an AfCFTA execution test. Success will be measured by converted deals, export scale-ups, and repeat investor commitments, not footfall alone.
Where the upside is: If Lagos fuses trade finance at the booth, standards advisory on the floor, and digital matchmaking before and after the fair, SMEs can secure purchase orders and offtake that survive beyond the photo-ops.
Execution risk: World-class events pivot on city logistics, border efficiency, and security ambiance. The win is achievable, but it requires a single command structure tying together state agencies, FG, Afreximbank, AU/AfCFTA and the private sector—with public scorecards to keep everyone honest.
Bottom line: Deliver on ease, safety and finance, and Lagos can convert IATF from a showcase into a continental deal engine—advancing Nigeria’s diversification play and burnishing Lagos’ bid to be Africa’s business capital.
FAQ
What is IATF?
A biennial platform convened by Afreximbank, the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat to drive intra-African trade, investment and industrial partnerships.
Why Lagos?
Population scale, coastal gateway location, diversified economy and growing MICE capacity—plus alignment with AfCFTA and the Lagos State Development Plan 2052.
Who benefits most?
SMEs and mid-caps seeking regional buyers, financing, standards support and logistics partners; investors scouting manufacturing and services plays.
How will Lagos prepare SMEs?
Through programmes like LASERP, sector bootcamps, and early matchmaking so firms arrive with bankable offers.
