Chinese Investors, Business Leaders Explore Nigerian Investment Opportunities at NACCIMA Forum
Oru Leonard
A large gathering of Chinese investors, business executives and institutional representatives converged in Guangzhou, China, for the third edition of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Business and Investment Forum, aimed at strengthening trade and investment relations between Nigeria and China.
The high-level business-to-business (B2B) engagement, held on November 3, 2026, attracted participants from critical sectors, including agriculture, mining, mineral processing, pharmaceuticals, automobile manufacturing, renewable energy and industrial production.
The forum was organised in partnership with the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), the Consulate General of Nigeria in Guangzhou, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Window of Canton, on the sidelines of the 140th Canton Fair.
Nigerian business leaders and public sector representatives used the platform to present investment-ready projects, business proposals and partnership opportunities to prospective Chinese investors.
Speaking at the event, NACCIMA National President, Engr. Jani Ibrahim, mni, OON, called on Chinese investors to deepen their business engagements with Nigeria through increased investments, industrial partnerships and technology-driven collaborations.
Ibrahim, drawing on a popular Chinese saying that building roads creates wealth, noted that Nigeria and China had established a strong foundation for bilateral cooperation over their 55 years of diplomatic relations.
He challenged both countries to translate their longstanding relationship into measurable economic outcomes, including new factories, employment opportunities and increased trade.
“Let us measure the next chapter not in memoranda signed, but in many more factories opened, jobs created, and containers sailing from Lagos to Guangzhou,” he said.
The NACCIMA president described Nigeria as an attractive investment destination, citing its population of over 200 million people and access to the wider African market of approximately 1.3 billion people through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He identified energy, solid minerals, agriculture, digital technology and healthcare as priority sectors requiring greater Chinese investment and strategic partnerships.
Ibrahim assured prospective investors of NACCIMA’s readiness to provide business guidance, facilitate engagements and support investment processes.
Earlier, the Consul General of Nigeria in Guangzhou, Ambassador Mairo Musa Abbas, said the economic relationship between Nigeria and China still had considerable untapped potential.
She advocated a shift from conventional trade, largely characterised by the exchange of finished goods, towards a more productive relationship driven by local manufacturing, technology transfer, industrial development, investment and employment generation.
According to her, the transition aligns with Nigeria’s ongoing economic reform agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which seeks to diversify the economy, strengthen domestic production, expand exports and create an enabling environment for private-sector investment.
Ambassador Abbas reaffirmed the Consulate’s commitment to economic diplomacy, trade facilitation and the development of stronger institutional relationships between businesses in both countries.
She said the Consulate would continue collaborating with NACCIMA, CCPIT, CCOIC, Window of Canton and other relevant institutions to connect investors with opportunities in Nigeria.
The Consul General also encouraged Nigerian businesses to leverage the Consulate’s presence in China to explore commercial opportunities and establish mutually beneficial partnerships.
In his remarks, Vice President of CCPIT Guangzhou, Huang Xiaofeng, welcomed the Nigerian delegation and reaffirmed his organisation’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with Nigeria.
He disclosed that CCPIT Guangzhou and NACCIMA had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to institutionalise the business forum and ensure its sustainability and greater impact.
Among the prominent Nigerian personalities at the event were the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN; NACCIMA First Deputy President, Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji, OON; National Vice President, Barr. Jasper Nduagwuike, mni; President of Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Alhaji Farouk Suleiman; NACCIMA China Relations Executive, Alhaji Zakirudeen Oladotun; and Special Adviser to the National President, Mr. Sulaiman Adoga.
Others included NACCIMA National Public Relations Officer, Hajiah Madinat Adigun-Oladotun, alongside other business and institutional representatives.
A major highlight of the forum was the networking session, which provided opportunities for Nigerian and Chinese businesses to explore potential collaborations and investment partnerships.
Exhibition booths were also mounted by the University of Ilorin, Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, Lekki Worldwide Investments Limited, Alaro City and UNASCO Aviation Services Limited to showcase investment opportunities and business offerings.
The forum forms part of ongoing efforts by NACCIMA and its Chinese institutional partners to strengthen private-sector engagement, promote investment flows and expand economic cooperation between Nigeria and China.
