LAGOS, NIGERIA—On Thursday, November 16, the U.S. Nigeria Council for Food Security, Trade, and Investment (USNC) convened a dinner around the theme of “A New US-Nigerian Partnership for Economic Revival.” Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Femi Hamzat, US Consul General in Lagos, Will Stevens, and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, H.E. Yemi Cardoso, headlined the event, which marked the USNC’s return to Lagos for the first time since the Covid pandemic.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and USNC Chairman Terence McCulley welcomed guests to the dinner and highlighted the pivotal moment in Nigeria’s economic trajectory. President Bola Tinubu has been in office for six months and has captured investor attention with his economic reform agenda. However, a forex crunch, worsening exchange rate, and persistent inflation remain key challenges for the new administration to overcome.
In his welcome address, Deputy Governor Hamzat, representing the Executive Governor of Lagos State, outlined his government’s efforts to maintain Lagos’ status as the economic driver of Nigeria, particularly emphasizing the state’s initiative to diversify its economy by incubating further dynamism in the tech sector and supporting creators in the fashion, art, and film space.
Consul General Stevens offered keynote 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 and expressed his sincere hope that the promising reforms launched by the Tinubu administration would herald in a new era of closer US-Nigerian commercial ties.
H.E. Governor Cardoso closed the speeches by offering a goodwill message to the USNC’s members and guests, emphasizing that Nigeria is open for business and that the country’s monetary policy stability is a key priority for the Tinubu administration.
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 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, Zouera Youssoufou, CEO of the Dangote Foundation, and a five-person team from Chevron led by Esimaje Brikinn, General Manager for Policy, Government, and Public Affairs.
If you would like to learn more about the USNC and our future programming, please email USNC Director of Operations Jonathan Dörnhofer at jdornhofer@usnigeriacouncil.org.