California Lagos Business & Investment Summit to headline leaders

The California Lagos Business & Investment Summit is scheduled for September 17 and 18, 2026, in Sacramento and San Francisco. Themed ‘Building the California Nigeria Business Bridge,’ the event aims to strengthen economic ties, trade, and investment between California and Lagos.

Key speakers expected to headline the summit include Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, California Governor Gavin Newsom, AFRIMA President Mike Dada, and Afretrade CEO Lekan Salaam. The summit is a private sector-led initiative supported by Afretrade, the US Diaspora United Chamber of Commerce, NIED Group, and the Lagos State Office of Diaspora Affairs.

A central focus of the event will be the creative economy. Mike Dada is slated to present on ‘From Culture to Capital: Unlocking the California Lagos Creative Economy,’ addressing investment opportunities in music, film, and intellectual property. The discussions will emphasize building structures that allow African creators to retain value from their intellectual property while attracting the technology and capital necessary to scale businesses.