Nigeria aims to court investors at Davos as global capital pulls back

Nigeria will use this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos to press its case as a stable, reforming economy at a time when global investors are pulling back from emerging markets and geopolitical tensions are reshaping capital flows.

Led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s delegation to the January 19–23 meetings includes Wale Edun, the finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, who is attending as a VIP participant, according to a statement signed by Ogho Okiti, special adviser to the minister of finance, on Monday.

The forum’s theme, The Spirit of Dialogue, aligns with Nigeria’s strategy of pairing macroeconomic reforms with sustained engagement with investors, development partners, and global policymakers.

Read also: FG to establish Nigeria House at 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos

“At a time of heightened uncertainty, the world is looking to Nigeria as a pillar of economic stability in Africa — not only because of its size, but because of the reform choices it has made,” the finance ministry said. “This positioning places Nigeria firmly within the global dialogue on how emerging markets can navigate volatility while sustaining reform momentum.”

According to the ministry, Nigeria’s message in Davos is straightforward: the country intends to stay the course on market-oriented reforms, maintain macroeconomic discipline, and protect institutional credibility, including the operational independence of the Central Bank of Nigeria, as a foundation for price stability and investor confidence.

That positioning comes as emerging markets face tightening financial conditions, weaker multilateral cooperation, and rising debt pressures. Nigeria is seeking to distinguish itself by arguing that reforms introduced since May 2023 are beginning to yield tangible results.

Read also: Davos: Here’re Oduwole’s bold moves to restore Nigeria as prime investment destination

Africa’s most populous economy embarked on some market reforms nearly three years ago, including eliminating costly fuel subsidies and floating its currency — the twin policies that have now stabilised the economy and placed it on a more fiscal footing.

According to the finance ministry, Nigeria will use the forum to report progress rather than make new promises. Officials point to more predictable macroeconomic conditions, improving growth performance, moderating inflation trends, stronger external buffers, and renewed international confidence, including Nigeria’s removal from major global financial grey lists.

Beyond signalling reform credibility, Edun’s meetings in Davos will focus on deepening dialogue with global investors, development finance institutions, credit ratings agencies, and multinational companies. The aim is to address lingering concerns around policy consistency, foreign-exchange stability, inflation, and fiscal sustainability, while reinforcing Nigeria’s ambition to act as a reform anchor in Africa’s largest economy.

The government says this engagement builds on renewed investor interest, particularly from Europe and the UK, and Nigeria’s gradual reintegration into global financial markets after years of capital controls and policy uncertainty.

Read also: FG to establish Nigeria House at 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos

A central theme of Nigeria’s Davos strategy this year is shifting discussions from promotion to execution. Officials say Nigeria has opened multiple investment talks over the past two years across energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture, technology, and financial services. The focus in Davos will be on converting those discussions into firm commitments.

Rather than broad pitches, Edun is expected to push investors on what specific policy assurances, regulatory frameworks, or risk-mitigation tools are required to take projects to financial close. The approach reflects a broader attempt to unlock delayed capital and accelerate project execution in an environment where global funding has become more selective.

Nigeria’s message is shaped by wider global pressures. Trade rules are being rewritten, capital flows to developing economies have tightened sharply, and climate finance remains unevenly distributed. At the same time, rapid technological change is disrupting labour markets faster than new jobs are being created.

Against that backdrop, Nigeria is framing its reform agenda around domestic revenue mobilisation, private-sector-led growth and institutional credibility, with macroeconomic stability positioned as a prerequisite for inclusive development.

Wasiu Alli is a business and economics journalist with more than two years experience covering macro trends, government policies, corporate earnings and comparative economics analysis. Alli turns raw data into trends that not only tells compelling stories but nudges investors to make valued and informed decisions. An alumnus of Lagos State University and trained at Lagos Business School, he heads the Companies and Markets desk at BusinessDay where he writes and supervises the production of well researched articles on earnings updates, corporate sectoral comparisons, market intelligence as well as interviews with C-suite executives.

Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date