Abia State Government says it will host the 2026 edition of AFRICANDO, a U.S.–Africa Trade and Investment Conference and Expo, with a focus on attracting investments, expanding market access and connecting local enterprises with global capital.

The three-day international conference, scheduled for Nov. 17–19 at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, will be held under the theme: “Deepening U.S.–Africa Commercial Ties in the Era of AfCFTA.”

The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, disclosed this at a press conference in Umuahia to formally unveil the event.
Sir Ajagba said the conference, organised by the Abia Diaspora Commission in partnership with the Foundation for Democracy in Africa and the Global Chamber of Commerce, would provide a platform for African businesses, governments and entrepreneurs to engage investors, policymakers, institutions and businesses from the United States and other international markets.

He said AFRICANDO 2026 was designed to move beyond discussions on trade promotion to actual transactions, investments and sustainable commercial partnerships.“AFRICANDO 2026 will not be another conference where speeches are made, photographs are taken and participants depart without measurable outcomes.
“The emphasis will be on deals, partnerships, investments and market access,” he said.

According to him, businesses seeking capital will have opportunities to meet investors, while manufacturers seeking international markets will connect with distributors and buyers.
He added that investors looking for viable opportunities would be presented with credible projects, while governments and development institutions would have opportunities to establish strategic partnerships.

Sir Ajagba said hosting the conference in Abia was strategic, given the state’s prominent position in Nigeria’s manufacturing and entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly the industrial and commercial strength of Aba.
He said the administration of Gov. Alex Otti had embarked on programmes aimed at rebuilding infrastructure, strengthening institutions, improving the business environment and repositioning the state as a destination for private capital.
“Our objective is to demonstrate that sub-national governments can become active partners in international trade, investment promotion and economic diplomacy,” he said.

The Chief of Staff said AFRICANDO would seek to transform the narrative around locally manufactured products by connecting the entrepreneurial energy of Aba and Abia with international markets.
He identified access to capital, modern technology, internationally recognised standards, improved packaging and branding, export knowledge, distribution networks and sustainable access to global markets as critical areas requiring attention.

He said the event would focus on agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, consumer goods, energy, financial services, healthcare, transportation and logistics, academic science and technology, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
The COS  disclosed that participants were expected from the United States, Anglophone African countries, the Caribbean and other parts of the world, adding that Nigeria had been selected as a hub, while Abia would serve as the Anglophone hub for West Africa.He therefore urged entrepreneurs and businesses to participate actively, stressing that AFRICANDO 2026 was an international trade conference and not merely a conventional trade fair.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said the conference would provide Abia with an important platform to showcase its economic opportunities, locally made products and entrepreneurial strength to investors from Africa and beyond.
Kanu said the event would promote trade, cultural exchange and economic cooperation, while strengthening the state’s relationship with the international business community and creating new opportunities for local businesses.

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Abia State Diaspora Commission, Rev. Mrs Annie Onu, described AFRICANDO as a unique initiative aimed at bringing Africans together for economic development and mutual cooperation.
Lady Onu said the conference would enable participating countries to understand Abia’s economic and cultural strengths while allowing the state to benefit from ideas, expertise and opportunities available across Africa.
“AFRICANDO is a unique investment that will unite Africans, not only Nigeria. It will encourage other African countries coming to our state to see what Abia has and what God has blessed us with, while we also learn from them,” she said.

She added that the event would also promote Abia’s rich cultural heritage and showcase the achievements of the Otti administration.
A major component of AFRICANDO 2026 will be a structured Deal Room and Investment Marketplace where investment-ready opportunities from Abia and participating businesses will be presented to prospective investors.

The conference is also expected to feature high-level plenary sessions, sector-specific workshops and roundtables, exhibitions, business matchmaking, B2B meetings, investor engagements, policy dialogue, project pitching, site visits and opportunities for the signing of memoranda of understanding and commercial agreements.
International delegates and investors are expected to visit strategic economic locations and enterprises in the state, with Aba’s manufacturing ecosystem projected to feature prominently.The organisers also plan to engage Abia, Nigerian and African diaspora communities, encouraging them to move beyond remittances toward structured investments, technology transfer, mentorship and enterprise partnerships.

The organisers said the success of AFRICANDO 2026 would ultimately be measured by the investments attracted, partnerships established, export opportunities created, market linkages developed and commercial agreements concluded during and after the conference.
The Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Dr Mrs Salome Obiukwu; Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Economy, Miss Elizabeth Chijioke; and a Board member of the UCDA, Enyinnaya Okereke, attended the press conference.
The organisers called on investors, entrepreneurs, governments, development institutions, chambers of commerce, manufacturers, SMEs, technology companies, diaspora organisations and the media to participate in the event.
“Abia is ready. Umuahia is ready. Africa is ready for business,” the organisers said.

Governor Alex Otti has attributed Abia State’s emergence as Nigeria’s third most improved state in the 2026 Phillips Consulting State Performance Index to his administration’s strategic investments in healthcare, education, infrastructure.
Also his governance and the growing collaboration with the Federal Government, including the recent visit of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

Speaking during the July edition of his monthly media chat at the Government House, Umuahia, Governor Otti described the latest ranking as a clear validation of his administration’s reforms.

The Governor said the progress reflects the positive impact of government policies on the lives of Abians.
The first Abia citizen noted that Abia has made one of the most remarkable improvements in the country’s performance ranking, rising from 36th position in 2024 to 10th in 2025, and now 3rd in the 2026 Phillips Consulting State Performance Index, behind only Enugu and Jigawa States.

Governor Otti said the state’s transformation has been driven by sustained investments in critical sectors, particularly healthcare, education, infrastructure, land administration and economic development.

Highlighting achievements in the health sector, he disclosed that Abia recorded one of Nigeria’s best performances in reducing maternal and infant mortality in the first quarter of 2026, while enrolment into the Abia State Health Insurance Scheme continues to increase.

According to him, 144 of the state’s 200 Primary Healthcare Centres have been fully functionalised, while 77 additional health facilities renovated through the World Bank intervention have also been completed, with about 30 more centres expected to become operational soon.

On transportation and infrastructure, Governor Otti announced that the state has received 20 additional electric buses, which would operate on routes including Umuahia–Bende–Arochukwu, Umuahia–Uturu (ABSU), Umuahia–Umudike–Ikwuano, Aba–Owerri and Aba–Ukwa. He added that surveillance systems have been installed in the buses to ensure accountability and improve service delivery.

The Governor further disclosed that work is progressing steadily on the Aba Bus Terminal, while the first phase of the Ekeoma Market remodelling has been completed and would soon be commissioned.
In the area of land administration, Governor Otti said the government has issued 4,923 Certificates of Occupancy within three years, with nearly 1,000 processed this year alone, adding that the completion of the state’s digital mapping project in partnership with UN-Habitat would usher in a fully digitised land administration system that would eliminate fraudulent land transactions and speed up property documentation.

On education, he said the administration’s Smart School initiative is gathering momentum with two Smart Schools already commissioned out of the planned twenty, assuring that the remaining eighteen schools would be completed soon.
“The idea is to expose our children to modern technology from an early stage,” the Governor stated.
Addressing ongoing infrastructure projects, Governor Otti acknowledged that the rainy season has slowed the pace of road construction but assured residents that work continues across major project sites. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending flooding through the construction of durable drainage infrastructure.

Responding to concerns over rising rents in Umuahia and Aba, the Governor attributed the increase to growing demand for accommodation and announced that the government would soon commence the Pocket Layout Housing Project in Umuahia to bridge the housing deficit.
Governor Otti described the recent visit of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as a major boost to Abia’s creative economy. He revealed that a dedicated bank account has been opened for the Akwete Cloth Production Hub, while the First Lady has authorised the release of the funds she pledged to support the Akwete women’s weaving initiative.
He urged residents to promote indigenous industries by patronising and wearing the locally woven Akwete fabric.

The Governor also commended residents for embracing environmental sanitation, urged them to sustain the culture of cleanliness, praised security agencies for maintaining peace across the state and congratulated the Commissioner of Police on his promotion to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG).

A landmark joint venture project of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and the Abia State Government has been formally launched in the state.

This Nigeria’s first Manufacturing Technology University Innovation Pod (Manu-Tech UniPod) was officially launched  at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State.

Speaking during the inauguration, the Vice President, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, represented by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf OlaTunji Alausa said the establishment of the Manu-Tech UniPod reaffirms the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning higher education as a catalyst for innovation, entrepreneurship, research commercialisation, and job creation.

Describing it as a “strategic investment in Nigeria’s future,” the Vice President noted that Universities must evolve beyond traditional teaching and research to become hubs for enterprise development, technology transfer, and industrial competitiveness.

In his keynote address titled “Science Meets Enterprise,” Abia State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, said the siting of the UniPod in Abia speaks to the institutional faith the UNDP and Federal Government have in the State’s potential as an engine of growth and economic prosperity in the region.

He noted that, the faith and efforts the partners have in Abia is yielding tangible results, adding that the event is a demonstration of that, and appreciated the siting of the project in Abia.

“The siting of the Manu-Tech UniPod in Abia speaks eloquently to the institutional faith UNDP and the Federal Government of Nigeria have reposed in our dear State and the potential it holds as an engine of growth and economic prosperity in the region.

The Governor who disclosed that his government supported the UniPod project because it aligns perfectly with the economic development outline of his administration, noted that,

“With the launch of the UniPod, a new interest in qualitative research will develop as scientists, students and everyone connected to the University ecosystem begin to look beyond random and hurried publication of academic papers just to score points for the next promotion cycle.

“The expectation is that research efforts henceforth will be directed at answering questions with practical, everyday applications” Gov. Otti stated.

The Governor thanked all the stakeholders and partners including the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and the UNDP for their efforts and willpower that gave birth to the transformational project.

“Over the last 3 years, we have found them to be reliable partners which explains our expanding body of joint ventures projects targeting entrepreneurship development, job creation and similar initiatives aimed at opening new layers of economic and social opportunities for our women and young people in particular,” Gov. Otti stated.

The UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, described the launch as part of a broader national innovation ecosystem being developed across Nigeria through the UniPod initiative.

She explained that the programme aims to connect education, research, innovation, enterprise, and manufacturing, enabling Universities to become drivers of economic growth and global competitiveness.

Ms. Attafuah commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Federal Ministry of Education, TETFund, and the Abia State Government for their commitment to innovation-driven development. She particularly extolled Governor Alex Otti for his vision of transforming Abia into Nigeria’s leading hub for manufacturing and industrial innovation.

Earlier in her speech, the Vice-Chancellor of MOUAU, Professor Ursala Akanwa, described the commissioning as a defining moment in the University’s history.

She said the project represents the fulfilment of the institution’s mandate to deploy science, technology, and innovation in advancing agricultural development, manufacturing, and enterprise.

Prof. Akanwa expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, Federal Ministry of Education, UNDP, TETFund, and the Abia State Government for choosing MOUAU to host Nigeria’s first Manufacturing Tech UniPod.

The event was attended by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Meribeole, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, members of the State Executive Council, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders. The Manu-Tech UniPod is expected to provide students, researchers, and entrepreneurs with access to advanced manufacturing equipment, prototyping facilities, and industry mentorship to convert research ideas into market-ready products.