Investors and business leaders gathered at Investors Connect London 2026 with a blunt message for Nigerian entrepreneurs chasing foreign capital: the money is there, but most businesses aren’t ready to receive it.
The event, organised by Vivacity Development in partnership with UK-based Codub Consulting Ltd., drew investors, executives, development professionals and members of the African diaspora to Imperial College London to examine how private capital can shape Nigeria’s future of work.
The recurring theme: businesses struggle to attract funding not for lack of opportunity, but for lack of preparation.
Vivacity Development founder and CEO, Engr. Oluwakemi Ann-Melody Areola, said the jobs debate must centre on the micro, small and medium enterprises already employing Nigerians — not technology startups alone.
“If we are serious about building the future of work for Nigerians, then we must invest in the businesses employing Nigerians,” Areola said, adding that Investors Connect was created to link businesses with investors, expertise, policy support and international networks.
Codub Consulting’s Principal Consultant, Chidi Umeano, pressed Nigeria to look beyond remittances, describing the diaspora as an untapped pool of investment capital, mentorship, market access and technical expertise.
Also Read: Otti highlights seven investment priority sectors in Abia State
In a keynote address, Dr. Sunday Akin Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Public Communications and Orientation, told entrepreneurs to build institutions capable of sustaining long-term growth rather than simply chasing capital. Investors, he said, now weigh governance systems, leadership, regulatory compliance, technology adoption and strategic partnerships before writing cheques.
A breakout session — “Golden Nuggets: The Architecture of an Investment-Ready Startup” — distilled the investor checklist: sound governance, clean financial records, intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance, credible leadership and a clear growth strategy.
Panelists also mapped sectors seen as future engines of jobs and investment: healthcare, agritech, sports, the creative economy, sustainable labour mobility and other innovation-driven industries. Sessions on international expansion explored how African businesses can crack global markets through stronger partnerships, risk-management frameworks and cross-border investment structures.
Organisers closed with a call to convert talk into deals — urging participants to sharpen investment readiness, pursue strategic partnerships and build networks that open new markets.
The London event forms part of Vivacity Development’s broader UK-Nigeria investment programme. The next stop: a side event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month, where Nigerian businesses will be connected with international investors and strategic partners.
Crediblenewsng.com
