

Day 3 - Fireside Chat 4 Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, DG WTO and Olasupo Olusi, MD Bank of Industry
Digital Trade & Technology
Focus of the Day
Day 3 positions Nigeria as a digital trade and technology anchor for West Africa and the African Continental Free Trade Area. The programme explores how scale, policy, infrastructure and capital must align to transform digital innovation into durable economic power. Discussions span digital infrastructure financing, AI governance, cross-border trade systems and inclusive growth, with emphasis on global competitiveness and long-term investment credibility.
Fireside Chat
From Scale to Capital: Financing Nigeria’s Role as West Africa’s Digital Trade & Infrastructure Anchor
This fireside examines how Nigeria can convert its market scale, innovation clusters and growing digital demand into bankable digital and trade infrastructure that attracts long-term global capital. The discussion focuses on critical assets such as data centres, connectivity, logistics corridors and energy systems, and what differentiates countries that sustain infrastructure investment from those that generate short-term interest. Drawing on global experience financing large-scale infrastructure, the conversation highlights the strategic priorities Nigeria must address to move from opportunity to permanence as a regional digital trade hub.