“Nigeria finances the talk but rarely owns the stage.”
Abuja — Despite sending some of the largest delegations and sponsors to major African conferences, Nigeria rarely hosts them. From energy to health and innovation, the continent’s biggest gatherings are held in Cape Town, Kigali or Nairobi — not Lagos or Abuja.
At the recent Africa Energy Week in Cape Town, thousands of delegates discussed Africa’s energy future. “Nigeria was everywhere in that room… but nowhere in the hosting rights,” one attendee said. The absence has real costs: loss of revenue, credibility, and influence.
South Africa, Rwanda, and Kenya have built reliable systems and infrastructure to attract global events. Nigeria, by contrast, struggles with perceptions of insecurity, poor logistics, and weak institutional coordination.
Experts say establishing a National Strategic Events and Conferences Office could help the country compete. Hosting such gatherings, they argue, would boost soft power, tourism, and Nigeria’s global image.