Nigeria’s leading economic and business figures are taking part in the ongoing Future Investment Initiative (FII9) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, joining global leaders and investors to discuss new strategies for sustainable growth and development.
World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Heirs Holdings Chairman Tony Elumelu, Global Infrastructure Partners Founder Adebayo Ogunlesi, and Transcorp Group Chief Executive Owen D. Omogiafo are among the key speakers at the four-day global investment summit, which runs from October 27 to 30 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre.
Now in its ninth edition, the Future Investment Initiative, often referred to as Davos in the Desert, is Saudi Arabia’s flagship investment forum, organised by the FII Institute and supported by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The 2025 conference, themed “The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth,” has drawn over 150 global business leaders, 20 heads of state, and senior executives from international corporations to Saudi Arabia.
The conference focuses on driving investments into technology, infrastructure, and innovation, as Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its economy away from oil. It also highlights the kingdom’s multi-billion-dollar gigaprojects such as NEOM, a futuristic city designed to anchor its Vision 2030 economic transformation agenda.
Okonjo-Iweala, who leads the World Trade Organisation, is expected to speak on global trade realignment and the need for more inclusive participation in international markets.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on Monday, Okonjo-Iweala said the ongoing trade wars are causing huge disruption, comparable to that of over 80 years.
“I think it’s maybe the understatement of the century to say that global trade is facing the greatest disruption in 80 years,” she said.
She also highlighted how deeply many smaller economies rely on rules-based trade.
Out of 166 members, 142 have trade-to-GDP ratios above 50 per cent, Okonjo-Iweala noted. “They really depend on trade and need the rules. You can’t make an agreement with every single country, so you need multilateral rules and a system that provides stability and predictability,” she said.
Tony Elumelu, a global advocate for entrepreneurship and founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, is participating in sessions centred on private-sector leadership and sustainable development.
Elumelu is expected to emphasise the role of African entrepreneurs in building resilient economies through long-term investments in power, infrastructure, and innovation.
Adebayo Ogunlesi, Chairman and Founder of Global Infrastructure Partners, which recently merged with BlackRock in a multibillion-dollar deal, will focus on infrastructure financing and energy development.
Transcorp Group Chief Executive Owen Omogiafo is expected to focus on industrial innovation, renewable energy, and corporate sustainability, reflecting Transcorp’s role in expanding Nigeria’s private-sector footprint.
The conference is hosting top figures from global finance, including executives from Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and BlackRock, as well as policymakers and leaders such as Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, former US President Donald Trump Jr, and International Finance Corporation Managing Director Makhtar Diop.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, said foreign investment into the kingdom grew by 24 per cent to $31.7 billion last year.
“We have taken Saudi Arabia to the world, and now the world is coming to Saudi Arabia,” he said during the opening session.
The event provides a platform for governments, investors, and innovators to collaborate on issues such as artificial intelligence, sustainable energy, and digital infrastructure.
The Future Investment Initiative has evolved into one of the most influential global investment platforms since its launch in 2017.
