36 Governors Launch Platform to Attract Global Investors

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has unveiled a new investment platform, Investopedia, aimed at drawing foreign and African capital into the country to drive infrastructure growth, create jobs, and boost economic development.

The initiative was launched in Abuja on Tuesday, with NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by his Nasarawa State counterpart, Abdullahi Sule. AbdulRazaq said the platform was designed as a “one-stop resource” to showcase opportunities across Nigeria’s 36 states while positioning the country as an attractive investment hub.

According to him, the Investopedia—a biennial publication—will highlight major projects across key sectors, outline incentives, and provide market insights. It will be released in both print and digital formats and promoted at global forums such as the Intra-African Trade Fair, the UN General Assembly, and the Africa Investment Forum.

The NGF chairman noted that despite Nigeria receiving an average of $2 billion in annual foreign direct investment—less than 0.5 per cent of GDP—funds remain heavily concentrated in oil, gas, telecoms, real estate, and agriculture. Meanwhile, the country faces an annual infrastructure financing gap of about $100 billion.

“States carry the heaviest responsibility in bridging this gap,” AbdulRazaq said. “Public resources alone cannot solve the challenge. To truly unlock prosperity, we must mobilise capital from global and African markets that can create jobs, modernise infrastructure, and deliver inclusive growth.”

He explained that Investopedia would provide investors with credible, transparent, and curated pipelines of projects across the federation, assuring them of both where and how to invest. He stressed that channeling investments into agro-processing, renewable energy, ICT, and financial services would yield long-term economic and social benefits.

In addition, AbdulRazaq announced plans for an NGF Fund—a pooled investment vehicle supported by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The fund, he said, will channel catalytic capital into subnational projects and ensure that opportunities showcased in Investopedia materialise into real investments.

Calling on both local and foreign investors, he said: “Nigeria’s states are open, credible, and investment-ready. With Investopedia and the NGF Fund, we are signaling that subnationals are prepared to partner with investors to bridge the infrastructure gap and unlock prosperity.”

NGF Director-General, Abdulateef Shittu, described the launch as a “new dawn” for Nigeria’s investment climate at the state level. He noted that although states budgeted over ₦17.5 trillion for capital projects in 2025, financing limitations and fragmented entry points have hindered large-scale investment engagement.

“The NGF Investopedia solves this by curating bankable projects across all 36 states and offering a transparent, credible platform for investors to engage at scale,” Shittu added.