A major new economic and cultural bridge between Africa and the United States will officially open this month as top political, corporate, and creative leaders gather for the California–Lagos Business & Investment Summit, taking place September 17–18, 2026, across Sacramento and San Francisco, California.
Themed “Building the California–Nigeria Business Bridge,” the summit is a private sector-led initiative powered by Afretrade, the U.S. Diaspora United Chamber of Commerce, the NIED Group, and the Lagos State Office of Diaspora Affairs.
The two-day gathering aims to deepen cross-border trade, unlock investment capital, and scale strategic partnerships connecting two of the world’s most dynamic economic hubs.
Day 1 Program involves main business sessions featuring keynote addresses, capital-raising panels, and corporate matchmaking. Followed by an official celebration at the historic Stanford Mansion and an evening Gala & Award Night at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento.
Day 2 Program (Sept 18): High-level diplomatic and business networking receptions in San Francisco.
The summit will feature high-level addresses from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Governor Gavin Newsom of California, and Lekan Salaam, CEO of Afretrade. Other distinguished attendees include Dr. Charly Lemassi, Dr. Badewa Adejugbe-Williams, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Victoria Remi Nkong (President, bridgeAfric), and Rory Douglas (CEO, Aqua Financial).
A major highlight will be a keynote address by Mike Dada, President and Founder of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), titled “From Culture to Capital: Unlocking the California–Lagos Creative Economy.” His session will focus on transforming Africa’s music, film, and entertainment sectors into sustainable, global businesses.
”Africa is no longer simply a source of creative content for the global market; Africa is a market, a talent hub, and an investment destination. The real opportunity before us is to build structures that allow African creators to retain value from their intellectual property while attracting the capital, technology, and global partnerships required to scale.” said Mike Dada.
Highlighting the strategic alignment, AFRIMA Regional Director (Central Africa) Nde Ndifonka emphasised that AFRIMA’s vision extends well beyond accolades:
”Music business advancement is one of the core seven pillars of AFRIMA. Our responsibility goes beyond celebrating artistes. We must also help build an ecosystem where African creativity can attract investment, create sustainable businesses, and generate greater economic value.” Nde Ndifonka asserted.
Deliberations across the two days will focus heavily on technology and fintech, trade logistics, transportation, renewable energy, real estate, agriculture, and expanding access to capital for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
