The African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network Investment Conference will take place in Calabar from November 12 to 14, 2026, organised by Afreximbank in partnership with the Cross River State Government, the Nigeria Governors' Forum and the Forum of State Investment Promotion Agencies in Nigeria. The three-day event will focus on mobilising investment, developing bankable projects and strengthening trade across Africa, according to Afreximbank.
Afreximbank said the network has facilitated more than $3.2 billion in investment opportunities and transactions since its establishment in 2021. Previous editions have brought together more than 1,400 delegates from 21 African countries. The conference will include investment promotion training, project preparation workshops, investment showcases and business-to-government deal rooms designed to connect sub-national governments with financiers and investors.
Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu said hosting the conference would provide the state with an opportunity to engage African and international investors and showcase its investment opportunities. Afreximbank's Executive Vice-President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development, Kanayo Awani, highlighted that sub-sovereign governments were central to Africa's economic transformation.
The state has also secured a commitment from ValueFrontiera Limited for a 4,000-hectare oil palm plantation in Yala Local Government Area, with the company committing more than $20 million over five years. The project, spanning six clans, is expected to create thousands of jobs and boost agricultural production as part of the state government's agricultural transformation agenda.