TONY ELUMELU THROWS WEIGHT BEHIND PRESIDENT BIO’S WEST AFRICA INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Abuja, Nigeria | 14 June 2026 – The West Africa Integration and Investment Summit (WAIIS), a flagship initiative championed by ECOWAS Chairman and President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, has received a significant boost following a high-level meeting in Abuja with renowned African investor and philanthropist, Tony Elumelu, who pledged his full support for the landmark regional initiative.
Scheduled for 16–18 November 2026, WAIIS is designed to accelerate economic integration across West Africa by bringing together governments, investors, development partners, and private sector leaders around a shared agenda for regional growth, trade, and investment.
The Summit comes as ECOWAS commemorates its 50th anniversary, providing a timely opportunity for the region to strengthen economic cooperation, deepen regional markets, and unlock new pathways for industrialization and sustainable development.
Held under the theme, “Powering Regional Integration through Energy Trade, Strategic Minerals, Agribusiness and Digital Transformation,” the Summit will focus on four strategic sectors considered critical to West Africa’s future competitiveness and prosperity. These include energy and industrial growth, strategic minerals and natural resource development, agribusiness and food systems transformation, and digital transformation and connectivity.
Special Envoy for the Summit, Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, said WAIIS is designed to move beyond discussions by developing practical investment frameworks, analytical reports, and a pipeline of bankable regional projects capable of attracting substantial public and private sector financing.
According to Dr. Yumkella, the Summit will serve as a platform for forging strategic partnerships, strengthening public-private collaboration, and identifying priority investments that can drive industrialization, improve food security, expand energy access, and enhance digital connectivity throughout the ECOWAS region.
Tony Elumelu’s endorsement marks a major milestone for the initiative. Widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential business leaders and investors, Elumelu praised President Bio’s leadership and the Summit’s focus on practical economic transformation through regional cooperation and investment.
He further committed to supporting the Summit financially and pledged to mobilize leading African business leaders and investors to back both the Summit and its follow-up activities, ensuring that policy commitments translate into tangible investments and measurable economic impact.
His support is expected to strengthen investor confidence in WAIIS, increase its visibility among development finance institutions and global investors, and reinforce the indispensable role of the private sector in advancing regional integration and sustainable economic growth.
As preparations continue, WAIIS is rapidly emerging as one of West Africa’s most ambitious investment platforms, with the potential to align political leadership, private capital, and development priorities around a common vision for a more integrated, competitive, and prosperous region.
