WASHINGTON, DC—On Thursday, April 13, the U.S. Nigeria Council for Food Security, Trade, and Investment (USNC) convened a dinner on the theme of “Entrepreneurship and the Tech Industry” with the recently re-elected Executive Governor of Lagos State, H.E. Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The event was held on the margins of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s annual Spring Meetings in Washington and was attended by government officials, business executives, and entrepreneurs from the United States and Nigeria.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and USNC Chairman Terence McCulley welcomed guests to the dinner and noted the dynamism and innovation that have come to define the tech landscape of Lagos. President Bola Tinubu laid much of the groundwork for this booming industry during his two terms as Lagos governor from 1999-2007, and Governor Sanwo-Olu has worked to expand the state’s ICT landscape since taking office in 2019.
In his keynote address, Governor Sanwo-Olu outlined his administration’s priorities and goals in fostering a more resilient tech sector that can compete with industry leaders around the world, not just in Africa. He also laid out his broader industrial policy, going into detail on the opportunities available in a wide variety of sectors in Lagos (and in Nigeria more broadly). He covered mining, entertainment, ICT, fashion, agro-processing, and more, giving attendees valuable insights into his administration’s economic priorities regardless of the industry they represented.
USNC Executive Director Emeritus, Eliot Pence, then moderated a discussion that included President-elect Tinubu’s Economic Policy and Energy Policy Advisers Wale Tinubu and Olu Verheijen, respectively, Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State Dilawar Syed, Lagos State Commissioners for Agriculture and Energy, Abisola Olusanya and Olalere Odusote, respectively, among many other leaders from a wide range of sectors in both countries.
The USNC was excited to present this event during a busy week in Washington and was thrilled with the interest and engagement registered from business leaders from both sides of the Atlantic. The value of this conversation was evident throughout the event, and we were particularly pleased to welcome many USNC members, including Founding Member John Coumantaros, Chairman of Flour Mills of Nigeria and Honorary Co-Chair of the USNC, Ambassador (ret.) Lee Feinstein, President of McLarty Associates, and Wale Tinubu, CEO of Oando.