Senator George Akume, CON, Chairman of the LIFC National Steering Committee and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (centre); Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, CON, Co-Chairman of the LIFC National Steering Committee and Governor of Lagos State (5th left); Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, CFR, Chairman, EnterpriseNGR and Co-Chairman of the LIFC Council (5th right); Obi Ibekwe, Chief Executive Officer, EnterpriseNGR (2nd row, 8th from right); Lami Adekola, Director Policy and Public Affairs, EnterpriseNGR (2nd row, 10th from right); Anthony Bidokwu, Head of Corporate Communications and Branding, EnterpriseNGR (2nd row, 7th from right); and federal ministers, permanent secretaries and other senior government officials during the inauguration of the LIFC National Steering Committee on September 2, 2026, in Abuja.
ABUJA, Nigeria – September 2, 2026
EnterpriseNGR has recorded a major milestone in its ongoing efforts to establish the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC) following the Federal Government’s endorsement as a strategic national economic priority and inauguration of the LIFC National Steering Committee.
At the inaugural meeting of the LIFC National Steering Committee in Abuja on Wednesday, the Federal Government affirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s endorsement of the LIFC as a strategic national economic priority to enhance Nigeria’s position globally, attract investment and support long term economic growth.
The National Steering Committee brings together the Federal Government, Lagos State government and the private sector represented by EnterpriseNGR to coordinate the legal, regulatory, fiscal, investment promotion, immigration and digital infrastructure requirements necessary to successfully establish a globally competitive financial centre.
The LIFC was initiated by the Lagos State Government in partnership with EnterpriseNGR and has evolved extensively marking the initiative from design and planning towards full scale implementation.
Inaugurating the Committee, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, CON, reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s support and stated that the Office of the SGF has been directed to coordinate Federal Government support for the initiative. He highlighted the opportunity for Nigeria to leverage Lagos’ strategic position and economic potential to build a financial centre of international standing.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, CON, Chairman of the LIFC Council, described the Centre as “strategic national infrastructure”, emphasising that the initiative should be viewed not simply as a Lagos project, but as an instrument of Nigeria’s long-term economic strategy.
The Governor also highlighted the broader ambition of the initiative is to establish the Lagos International Financial centre as a trusted gateway through which global capital can access opportunities in Nigeria and across the continent.
EnterpriseNGR has played a central role in the development of the initiative, convening perspectives from across Nigeria’s Financial and Professional Services sector and ensuring that industry expertise remains embedded in the Centre’s design and implementation process. Through sustained engagement with stakeholders across the sector, EnterpriseNGR continues to support the creation of a financial centre aligned with international standards and investor expectations.
Speaking at the inauguration, Chairman of EnterpriseNGR and Co-Chairman of the LIFC Council, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, CFR, emphasised the importance of institutional alignment in attracting global capital and driving economic transformation.
He described the collaboration between the Federal Government, Lagos State and the private sector as an example of what can be achieved when institutions align around a shared economic objective.
“Capital is perhaps the most discerning visitor that I know,” he said, emphasising that investors ultimately gravitate towards jurisdictions where they feel safe, where rules are predictable and where opportunities can grow.
That principle is central to the LIFC’s development. Extensive preparatory work has already been completed, including the development of the Centre’s strategic blueprint, legal and regulatory assessments, business planning and institutional design.
Specialist workstreams are also advancing legal and regulatory reforms, institutional capability and the international positioning of the Centre, with KPMG supporting the Project Office and TheCityUK providing international technical support funded by the UK Government.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, pledged support for the legal reforms required to provide greater certainty for investors, while the Nigeria Revenue Service and Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment emphasised the need to develop a model suited to Nigeria’s constitutional, legal and economic realities.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also committed to supporting the Centre through investment diplomacy, international advocacy and strategic partnerships.
The LIFC is now working towards a soft launch in the first quarter of 2027.
For Nigeria, the significance of the LIFC extends beyond Lagos. Its broader objective is to channel global capital into productive opportunities across the country and the wider African market.
A successful Lagos International financial centre has the potential to deepen capital markets, strengthen professional services, create high-value employment, increase investment and mobilise long-term capital into critical sectors of the economy, including infrastructure, technology, agriculture and manufacturing.
With Federal Government backing now firmly established, Lagos State providing jurisdictional leadership and EnterpriseNGR keeping the Financial and Professional Services sector embedded in the process, the LIFC is moving into its most consequential phase of turning strategy into an institution that investors trust and businesses use.
About the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC)
The Lagos International Financial Centre is a collaborative initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Lagos State Government and the private sector, represented by EnterpriseNGR to establish an internationally competitive financial centre in Lagos and position Nigeria as a trusted gateway for global capital seeking opportunities across Nigeria and Africa.