The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has stated that Nigeria's current level of investment is inadequate to create jobs, improve productivity, and deliver broad-based prosperity required by its rapidly growing population. According to the group, economic transformation does not happen by chance, but is built on investment in businesses, industries, infrastructure, innovation, and people.
The NESG identified infrastructure deficits, limited access to long-term finance, regulatory uncertainty, and high business costs as factors that have constrained productive investment in Nigeria for decades. The challenge has become more pressing as global competition for investment capital intensifies. The group made this statement in a release issued ahead of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit scheduled for October 26 and 27, 2026.
The NESG said recent economic reforms aimed at stabilising the macroeconomic environment, improving fiscal sustainability, and restoring investor confidence are necessary but would not be sufficient without a corresponding increase in productive investment. The group stated that the next challenge is translating stability into productive investment that expands businesses, creates jobs, raises incomes, and improves living standards.
The 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, themed "Growth that Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity," will focus on mobilising capital for economic expansion and investing in the people required to sustain growth. Under its "Invest Nigeria" sub-theme, the summit will examine measures to attract domestic and foreign investment into various sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, technology, energy, mining, logistics, and the creative economy.
The NESG said unlocking investment opportunities in these sectors would require improvements in the business environment, fewer barriers to enterprise growth, deeper capital markets, and stronger policy frameworks for long-term investment. The focus is not merely on attracting capital but on ensuring that investment flows into sectors capable of generating broad economic value, strengthening productivity, and creating opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
The NESG also called for greater investment in human capital, warning that significant gaps remain in education, healthcare, workforce readiness, and skills development despite Nigeria having one of the world's youngest populations. Investment in education, healthcare, digital literacy, vocational training, and workforce development would help raise productivity and strengthen Nigeria's long-term competitiveness.
The summit will bring together stakeholders from government, business, finance, academia, and development institutions to discuss measures for placing investment at the centre of job creation, productivity growth, and shared prosperity. The NESG called on the government to strengthen the policy environment, while urging the private sector to expand productive investment and innovation.
Key points
- The Nigerian Economic Summit Group says current investment levels in Nigeria are insufficient to create jobs and improve productivity.
- The 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit will focus on mobilising capital for economic expansion and investing in the people required to sustain growth.
- The NESG called for greater investment in human capital to address significant gaps in education, healthcare, workforce readiness, and skills development.
