Nigeria’s business landscape is set for a busy week as policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs and industry leaders prepare for a series of events and policy developments expected to shape conversations around economic growth. From the Nigerian Economic Summit Group’s (NESG) industrialisation forum to a major MSME summit in Lagos, attention will be focused on how Nigeria can strengthen local businesses, attract investment and reduce its dependence on oil revenue.
The NESG Industrialisation and Competitiveness Forum, scheduled to hold virtually on Wednesday, August 19, will bring together policymakers, business leaders, economists and other key stakeholders. Discussions are expected to centre on Nigeria’s manufacturing sector, industrial policy, investment and productivity, with participants looking at practical ways to address the challenges limiting industrial growth and improve the country’s competitiveness.
Attention will also shift to Nigeria’s growing startup and MSME ecosystem on Thursday, August 20, when the 6th annual MSME & Startup Economic Summit 2026 takes place at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos. With the theme, “Digitising MSMEs for Unlocking Nigeria’s Non-oil Revenue and Economic Growth,” the summit will explore how technology and digital tools can help businesses expand, create jobs, support youth-led innovation and open up new sources of revenue beyond the oil sector.
Meanwhile, the financial markets will also be closely watched as the Debt Management Office (DMO) moves to auction N425 billion worth of Federal Government of Nigeria bonds on August 17. The offer consists of three reopened bonds, including N250 billion of the 22.60 percent January 2035 bond, N100 billion of the 16.2499 percent April 2037 bond and N75 billion of the 15.45 percent June 2038 bond. The CBN has also eased restrictions surrounding banks’ access to its discount window, including restrictions linked to foreign exchange market participation and primary government securities auctions, a move that could influence liquidity and financial market activity.
In the oil sector, President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a new framework aimed at unlocking up to $50 billion in deep offshore investment is another major development to watch. The reform replaces project-by-project negotiations with a more transparent investment framework and is expected to help revive large offshore projects that have remained stalled for years. Together, these developments highlight a week in which industrialisation, digitalisation, financial markets and oil investment could dominate Nigeria’s economic conversation, with businesses and investors watching closely for policies that could translate into stronger growth and new opportunities.
source: The cable
