On Monday, November 11, the U.S. Nigeria Council for Food Security, Trade, and Investment
(USNC) convened a dinner on Victoria Island to highlight the role that Lagos State plays in the US-Nigeria commercial relationship. US Consul General in Lagos, Will Stevens, and Executive Governor of Lagos State, H.E. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, headlined the event.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and USNC Chairman Terence McCulley welcomed guests to the dinner and discussed the opportunities for Nigeria as a new US government takes office in January. These include potential enhanced security cooperation, a greater focus on the commercial relationship, and the personal touch of having Lebanese-Nigerian Massad Boulos in the White House as a key advisor to President-elect Donald Trump.
Consul General Stevens offered remarks and struck an optimistic note about the varied opportunities available to American companies in Nigeria. He strongly encouraged US and Nigerian firms to take advantage of the services provided by the US Consulate General in Lagos. He also promised his support to US and Nigerian entrepreneurs as he takes on a new role as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for West Africa in Washington, DC in 2025.
H.E. Governor Sanwo-Olu used his keynote remarks to highlight the role that Lagos State plays in the US-Nigeria commercial relationship, noting that most foreign firms us Lagos as their hub for doing business in Nigeria. He also cited the state’s burgeoning tech sector and creative economy as prime opportunities for US investors.
USNC Senior Advisor, Aubrey Hruby, then moderated a discussion that included contributions from Nigerian and US entrepreneurs in the agriculture, tech, transportation, and finance sectors, among others. The USNC was excited to return to Lagos for a second straight year with this productive dinner event 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 evening, 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, Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive of Oando, Zouera Youssoufou, CEO of the Dangote Foundation, Debo Lukanmbi, Manager for Strategy and Planning at Chevron, Femi Akinware, Director of Exchange Telecomm, and Kelechi Ogbuaku, Deputy General Manager of Zenith Bank.