Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, California Governor Gavin Newsom and All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) President Mike Dada are expected to take part in a California-Lagos business summit aimed at expanding trade, investment and creative-industry links between the two economies.
The California-Lagos Business & Investment Summit will take place in Sacramento and San Francisco on 17 and 18 September 2026 under the theme, “Building the California-Nigeria Business Bridge.”
Organisers say the meeting will bring together investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, business leaders and members of the African diaspora.
But the significance of the meeting extends beyond a business conference.
California lawmakers have already advanced a resolution supporting a sister-state relationship with Lagos State, with the measure passing the California Assembly and subsequently moving through the Senate. (California State Senate)
Afretrade, one of the organisers, says the summit will provide a platform for capital raising, business matchmaking and discussions between companies and investors.
Its official event listing identifies the Lagos State Diaspora Office, California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), Bay Area Council, NIED Group and the US Diaspora United Chamber of Commerce among the organisations involved. (Afretrade)
From political goodwill to business
The challenge for the summit will be to turn diplomatic and business discussions into measurable investment, jobs and commercial activity.
That distinction matters because both California and Lagos have held investment-focused events in recent years with similar ambitions.
Lagos hosted the third Invest in Lagos Summit in June, where the state sought domestic and foreign investment across areas including infrastructure, technology, agriculture, energy, logistics, financial services, real estate and SMEs. (Vanguard News)
At the end of that summit, Mr Sanwo-Olu said Lagos would monitor investment commitments through a post-summit framework designed to track implementation and measurable outcomes. (Independent Newspaper Nigeria)
The California meeting therefore provides another test of whether investment diplomacy can produce concrete results rather than remain at the level of conferences, memoranda and networking.
California already has an Africa strategy
The proposed partnership is also not taking place in isolation.
California has been developing economic and policy links with African countries around climate, transport, clean energy and trade.
In April, California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin hosted the second California-Africa Climate and Economic Forum in San Francisco, which included representatives from Nigeria and other African countries.
CalSTA said California had formalised international cooperation with African partners, including Nigeria, through agreements covering areas such as zero-emission transport, sustainable freight, clean-energy innovation and resilient infrastructure. (CalSTA)
“Today’s conversations showed the scale of opportunity between California and our African partners,” Mr Omishakin said.
“As we advance Governor Newsom’s vision for a cleaner, more connected global economy, we are turning shared priorities into action – expanding trade, investing in clean energy, fostering sustainable agriculture, accelerating clean transportation and delivering real benefits for communities.” (CalSTA)
This provides some policy background to the proposed California-Lagos relationship, particularly in transport, renewable energy and infrastructure.
Creative industries take centre stage
AFRIMA has entered a strategic partnership with the California-Lagos summit, placing the creative economy alongside more traditional investment sectors.
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Mr Dada is scheduled to speak on “From Culture to Capital: Unlocking the California-Lagos Creative Economy.”
His presentation will examine investment opportunities in music, film, intellectual property and wider cultural commerce.
“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 their businesses.
“AFRIMA has been at the vanguard of Africa’s music business and economic renaissance for the past 15 years, helping to build bridges between African creativity, enterprise and global markets. AFRIMA perfectly aligns with the California Business and Investment Summit as both platforms share a common vision of positioning African businesses, talents and intellectual property for global trade competitiveness,” Mr Dada said.
His comments reflect a longstanding concern within Africa’s creative industries: that growing global demand for African music and entertainment does not automatically translate into equivalent ownership, investment or financial returns for African creators.
The summit is expected to discuss technology and fintech, trade and logistics, transportation, entertainment, agriculture, renewable energy, real estate and access to capital for small and medium-sized businesses.
AFRIMA sees music as an economic sector
AFRIMA Regional Director for Central Africa, Nde Ndifonka, said the organisation’s involvement goes beyond the awards themselves.
“Music business advancement is one of the core seven pillars of AFRIMA, and that is why the AFRIMA Music Business Summit is an integral part of the main activities of the AFRIMA Awards. 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.
“The California–Lagos Business & Investment Summit provides an important platform for that objective. California is a global centre of technology, capital and entertainment, while Lagos is one of Africa’s leading hubs for creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation. Connecting these ecosystems can create opportunities across music, film, intellectual property, technology and cultural commerce. AFRIMA is therefore pleased to partner with the Summit as we continue to build bridges between African creative talent and the global marketplace.”
AFRIMA’s own website lists the California-Lagos summit among its September 2026 activities and describes the partnership as part of efforts to connect the two economies. (AFRIMA - All Africa Music Awards)
What could businesses gain?
For Nigerian businesses in California and other parts of the United States, the summit could provide access to investors, partners and potential markets.
For California companies, Lagos offers access to one of Africa’s largest commercial centres and to sectors such as fintech, entertainment, logistics, property and renewable energy.
The organisers say the programme will include keynote addresses, panel discussions, capital-raising sessions and business matchmaking.
The main business programme is scheduled to run from 09:00 to 17:00 on 17 September.
An official ceremony is planned at Stanford Mansion, followed by a gala at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. A business and diplomatic networking reception is scheduled for San Francisco on 18 September. (Afretrade)
However, the immediate public benefit remains uncertain.
The summit itself does not guarantee investment. Its success will ultimately depend on whether discussions lead to signed agreements, new businesses, increased trade, technology transfer, jobs and projects that can be independently measured.
Why the sister-state relationship matters
The proposed California-Lagos relationship could give the business engagement a more formal structure if it is completed.
California’s Assembly advanced a resolution supporting a sister-state relationship with Lagos in April, and the measure was subsequently considered by the Senate. (California State Senate
The summit organisers say an official sister-state legislation ceremony is planned during the Sacramento programme. (Afretrade
Such arrangements can create channels for government-to-government cooperation, but they do not themselves create private investment.
The harder question will be how both sides convert political support into practical cooperation that survives beyond the September events.
What happens next?
The summit is scheduled for 17–18 September, with the main business programme in Sacramento followed by a networking reception in San Francisco.
Attention will then shift to what is actually agreed.
For Lagos, the key measure will be whether the California engagement produces investment and commercial partnerships that complement the state’s existing efforts to attract international capital.
For California, the test will be whether stronger links with Lagos create meaningful opportunities for its businesses while supporting its existing interests in clean transport, technology, trade and sustainable economic development.
The meeting therefore represents an opportunity, rather than a guaranteed economic breakthrough.
The real story will begin after the delegates leave California: which agreements are signed, which investments materialise, how much capital changes hands, and whether businesses on both sides can demonstrate measurable gains.
