The Abia State Government has announced plans to attract international capital, expand markets for local businesses and secure investment and trade deals as the state hosts AFRICANDO 2026.
The three-day US-Africa Trade and Investment Conference and Expo is scheduled to take place from November 17 to 19, 2026, at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.
The event will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, government officials, policymakers and business institutions from the United States, Africa and other parts of the world.
Unveiling the programme in Umuahia, the Chief of Staff to Governor Alex Otti, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, described the event as a strategic opportunity to connect Abia businesses with global capital and international markets.
The conference is themed “Deepening U.S.–Africa Commercial Ties in the Era of AfCFTA.”
Ajagba said the programme would focus on concrete commercial transactions rather than speeches alone.
“The emphasis will be on deals, partnerships, investments and market access. We expect businesses seeking capital to meet investors, manufacturers seeking international markets to meet distributors and buyers, and investors seeking viable opportunities to encounter credible projects,” he said.
He described Abia as strategically located within Nigeria’s manufacturing and entrepreneurial ecosystem and said reforms by the state government had strengthened its attractiveness to investors.
According to him, Abia would serve as an Anglophone hub for West Africa, while Nigeria would serve as a major hub for the international gathering.
The conference will cover agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, consumer goods, energy, financial services, healthcare, transportation and logistics, science and technology and artificial intelligence.
Ajagba urged Abia entrepreneurs to take advantage of the programme, stressing that it was “not a trade fair, but an international trade conference.”
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said the event would provide an opportunity for Abia to showcase its locally manufactured products, investment opportunities and entrepreneurial capacity.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Abia State Diaspora Commission, Rev. Mrs Annie Onu, described the conference as a platform for economic integration and cooperation.
AFRICANDO 2026 is being organised by the Abia Diaspora Commission in partnership with the Foundation for Democracy in Africa and the Global Chamber of Commerce.
© 2026, Standard Focus. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from STANDARD FOCUS.