Olushola Omogbehin
In collaboration with the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has nominated Lagos State as the host city for the 2027 Intra-African. Trade Fair (IATF).
This was contained in a statement released on Monday by the spokesperson for the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment, Mr. Adewale Akodu.
According to Akodu, the African Export-Import Bank, the African Union, and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat announced the nomination at the ongoing IATF 2025.
The fair, which takes place every two years, is regarded as Africa’s premier platform for promoting intra-continental commerce and accelerating AfCFTA implementation. Organisers expect the 2027 edition to attract more than 1,600 exhibitors, 35,000 visitors, and billions of dollars in trade and investment deals.
Governor Sanwo-Olu welcomed the nomination as he ascribed it as a recognition of Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa’s economic integration and Lagos’s stature as the continent’s second-largest city economy.
“We are very excited about the choice of Lagos for the 2027 edition of this important fair. But we are not surprised because it is a reflection of our resilience, our strength and our commitment to the Greater Lagos journey as illustrated by our T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda,” he said.
He also linked the development to Lagos’s efforts to court global attention, pointing to recent events including GITEX, the international technology exposition and the forthcoming E1 electric boat race (The first in Africa) which Lagos will host alongside Monaco and Jeddah.
“We keep making history. It is the Spirit of Lagos at work,” he said, adding that hosting IATF will reinforce Nigeria’s Renewed Hope economic agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Industrial players have seen the selection as an opportunity for Nigeria to showcase its industrial potential at a time when the continent is pushing to reduce its dependence on extra-African trade. Although Africa accounts for 17 per cent of the world’s population, intra-African trade represents less than 15 per cent of total commerce on the continent, compared with nearly 60 per cent in Asia and more than 70 per cent in Europe.
Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Folashade Kaosarat Bada Ambrose said, “The opportunity is a strategic milestone for Nigeria and West Africa in boosting continental trade integration. Hosting the IATF 2027 positions us at the forefront of Africa’s trade future and reaffirms our commitment to fostering regional collaboration, investment and innovation,”
She highlighted Lagos’s population of more than 23 million, its coastal access and entrepreneurial economy as factors that make it a natural stage for the fair.
Ambrose also see the nomination to be in tandem with the state’s long-term development plan to 2052, which aims to expand infrastructure and transform Lagos into a globally competitive megacity.
“The choice of Lagos reflects Africa’s confidence in Nigeria’s leadership and Lagos State’s readiness to deliver an impactful event that will leave a legacy beyond 2027.”
Officials of Afreximbank have also cited three major reasons for the choice of Lagos which include: Nigeria’s status as Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation; the city’s role as a commercial nerve centre offering unmatched access to West African markets; and its alignment with the AfCFTA agenda to deepen intra-African trade and industrial competitiveness.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Government has revealed that preparations would begin immediately in conjunction with the federal government, Afreximbank, the AU and the AfCFTA Secretariat. Priorities will include infrastructure, logistics, security and hospitality.
in addition to the funfair, Nigerians hope the fair will provide as well as boost small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which constitute the backbone of Nigeria’s economy.
