The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), led by its Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Aisha Rimi, reaffirmed Nigeria’s position as one of Africa’s leading investment destinations during the Africa Infrastructure & Energy Conference (AIEC) 2026, held in London.
Organised by Financial Markets Indaba, the conference brought together senior government officials, development finance institutions, institutional investors, commercial banks, infrastructure funds, project developers, and global capital providers to accelerate investment into Africa’s infrastructure and energy sectors.
Speaking during the conference’s Nigeria Country Spotlight, Aisha Rimi highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing investment reforms and the pivotal role of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission in creating a competitive, investor-friendly environment that supports sustainable economic growth.
She emphasised that infrastructure and energy remain central to Nigeria’s long-term development agenda and outlined the Commission’s efforts to attract strategic investment into power, renewable energy, transport, logistics, manufacturing, digital infrastructure, and industrial development. Her presentation reinforced Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening public-private partnerships, improving project bankability, streamlining investment processes, and connecting investors with high-impact opportunities capable of delivering long-term economic transformation.
The Executive Secretary noted that the Commission’s work continues to produce measurable results. During 2025, NIPC facilitated more than US$10 billion in investment commitments across strategic sectors including clean energy, manufacturing, telecommunications, and infrastructure. The Commission has also strengthened coordination with state investment promotion agencies and One-Stop Investment Centres (OSICs), enhancing investor support and improving project implementation across Nigeria.
In recognition of these achievements, NIPC was recently ranked the Overall Best-Performing Ministry, Department and Agency (MDA) in Nigeria’s Public Service Reforms Performance Ranking by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), reflecting its commitment to institutional excellence, efficiency, and investor service delivery.
A key message delivered during the conference was that deeper collaboration, smarter policies, and faster implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are essential to unlocking Africa’s infrastructure potential and accelerating regional economic integration.
Aisha Rimi stressed that attracting long-term private capital requires coordinated policy implementation, predictable regulatory frameworks, stronger regional value chains, and effective partnerships between governments, development finance institutions, and the private sector. She reaffirmed that NIPC remains dedicated to catalysing investments, fostering strategic partnerships, and strengthening Nigeria’s position as one of Africa’s premier destinations for global investment.
The conference also highlighted several examples of Nigeria’s investment success, including the US$19 billion Dangote Refinery, which has become one of Africa’s most significant industrial investments. The refinery demonstrates the scale of opportunities available within Nigeria’s economy and the country’s ability to attract transformational private sector investment that supports industrialisation, strengthens energy security, reduces import dependence, and enhances regional competitiveness.
NIPC also showcased its commitment to advancing sustainable investment through clean energy initiatives, including programmes supporting renewable energy deployment and clean cooking technologies that contribute to carbon emission reductions and inclusive economic development.
As Nigeria’s principal investment promotion agency, NIPC continues to play a central role in facilitating domestic and foreign investment by improving the investment climate, supporting policy reforms, streamlining regulatory processes, and connecting investors with bankable opportunities across key sectors of the economy.
Through its collaboration with governments, multilateral institutions, development finance institutions, commercial banks, and private investors, the Commission is helping to build a stronger pipeline of investment-ready projects capable of delivering sustainable infrastructure development and long-term economic growth.
Nigeria continues to demonstrate strong leadership in creating an enabling investment environment, and the Commission’s achievements in attracting investment, supporting policy reform, and facilitating strategic partnerships provide an important model for the continent.
Aisha Rimi’s contribution reinforced the importance of practical collaboration between governments and investors in accelerating Africa’s infrastructure and energy development.
The Africa Infrastructure & Energy Conference serves as a premier investment platform connecting African governments, project sponsors, state-owned enterprises, development finance institutions, institutional investors, commercial banks, legal advisers, and global capital providers. By combining high-level policy dialogue, investment roundtables, project presentations, and structured business-to-business meetings, the conference is helping to mobilise private capital, strengthen strategic partnerships, and accelerate the delivery of bankable infrastructure and energy projects across Africa.