In a ceremony held at the Wole Soyinka Centre in Lagos on 9 March 2026, the Federal Republic of Nigeria formally signed the hosting agreement for the fifth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2027), solidifying its role as the next home of the continent’s premier trade and investment platform. The event was co-organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union Commission, and the AfCFTA Secretariat, and brought together heads of state, ministers, governors, and business leaders from across Africa.
Scheduled to run from 5 to 11 November 2027, IATF 2027 will be held in Lagos under the theme “Global Africa, Smart Trade – From Market Access to Market Power.” Organisers are targeting over 100,000 visitors, 2,500 exhibitors, and participation from more than 100 countries, with an ambitious goal of surpassing US$50 billion in trade and investment deals.
A City With History on Its Side
The choice of Lagos carries deep historical resonance. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who chairs the IATF Advisory Council, was among the first to draw the connection, noting that the city hosted the Lagos Plan of Action in 1980 — a landmark document that championed Africa’s industrialisation and economic self-sufficiency. “We have to work hard to keep moving towards the Africa we want,” Obasanjo said. “I am confident that IATF 2027 will surpass all previous editions in both scope and impact.”
Federal Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole went further back in Lagos’s pan-African legacy — to 1975, when the Treaty of Lagos founded ECOWAS, the first regional economic bloc on the continent, and to 1977, when Lagos hosted FESTAC ’77, the Festival of Black Arts and Culture. “Nigeria is truly proud to host the Intra-African Trade Fair 2027 in Lagos, the birthplace and launchpad of African economic integration,” she said.
Building on Four Editions of Momentum
Since its inaugural edition in 2018, IATF has cumulatively generated over US167 billion in trade and investment deals and welcomed more than 180,000 visitors from 132 countries. The most recent edition, hosted by Algeria, recorded US49.94 billion in deals alone — setting a high bar that Lagos will attempt to clear.
Afreximbank President Dr. George Elombi framed the ambition in human terms, recalling Ndubisi Arinze Eze, a Nigerian innovator who attended IATF 2021 and was subsequently discovered by Singaporean investors. Today, Eze designs drones that are transforming farming around the world. “The trade fair did not only change the life of a young man but also improved the lives of a family, a community and a nation,” Elombi said. He expressed confidence that IATF 2027 would generate more than US$50 billion in business and foster even greater partnerships across the continent.
Elombi also placed the 2027 Fair within a broader run of flagship Afreximbank events in Nigeria: the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Abuja in June 2025, which drew over 6,000 high-level delegates; the CANEX Weekend in Lagos in November 2026, targeting more than 10,000 participants; and now IATF 2027, expected to welcome over 120,000 delegates to Lagos.
Nigeria’s Moment to Lead
As the most populous nation in Africa and one of its largest economies, Nigeria brings considerable weight to the hosting role. AU Commissioner for Economic Development Francisca Tatchouop Belobe called on leaders to use the Fair to “propel intra-African trade and help Africa reposition itself in the global trade landscape,” adding: “We should aim very high in 2027, especially as the IATF takes place in Nigeria.”
Minister Oduwole outlined concrete steps Nigeria has already taken to advance the AfCFTA agenda — including a dedicated Air Cargo Exports Corridor launched with Uganda Airlines in May 2025, a digital trade pilot with Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa, and the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT), a continental initiative to harmonise border procedures. She also noted that Nigeria was the first AfCFTA State Party to complete its five-year implementation review in 2025. “The work ahead of us is not only expansive — it is existential for our survival and prosperity,” she said.
From Legal Framework to Commercial Reality
AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene, represented by Director of Private Sector Engagement Cynthia Gnassingbé-Essonam, stressed the role the IATF plays in translating the trade agreement from legal text into real business activity. Africa’s ability to stop exporting raw materials and begin building integrated value chains was, he argued, the defining economic challenge of the moment — and one the AfCFTA was designed to address. The Secretariat will work alongside Afreximbank, the AU Commission, and the Nigerian Government to ensure that IATF 2027 expands enterprise participation, strengthens cross-market connections, and catalyses durable trade partnerships.
Creative Africa in the Spotlight
IATF 2027’s programming will extend well beyond traditional trade. The Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) strand will showcase Africa’s creative economy — a sector that contributed approximately US310 billion to continental GDP in 2022 and employs close to 12 million people, more than half under the age of 35. Nigeria alone estimates its creative economy at US25 billion and has set a target of US$100 billion and two million new jobs by 2030, driven by the global rise of Afrobeats, Nollywood, and a new generation of designers and media companies.
The Fair also coincides with the countdown to the 50th anniversary of FESTAC ’77. The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization has launched a “Road to FESTAC ’77 @50” initiative to reignite the spirit of pan-African unity that defined the original gathering. “Let today be remembered as the moment we united in purpose once again in Lagos,” Minister Oduwole said, “determined to align our markets, our industries, and our talent for lasting impact.”
What to Expect in November 2027
Beyond the trade exhibition itself, IATF 2027 will feature an AfCFTA-focused investment forum, a B2B and B2G matchmaking platform, the Global Africa Day to engage the diaspora, an Africa Automotive Show, the AU Youth Start-Up Pavilion, the Africa Research and Innovation Hub, and special showcases for tourism, culture, and the creative economy.
For Dr. Elombi, the Fair’s purpose is both economic and symbolic. “When Africans decide to work together, as they will at IATF 2027, the opportunities for transformation are limitless,” he said. “IATF places our transformation in our own hands.”
