…Set to advance sub-sovereign funding, trade

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with the Cross River State Government, Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and the Forum of State Investment Promotion Agencies in Nigeria (FoSIPAN) will convene the sixth African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network (AfSNET) Investment Conference in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, from 12 to 14 November 2026, bringing together African sub-sovereign governments, investors, financial institutions and development partners to advance investment-ready projects, partnerships and intra-African trade opportunities across the continent.

The conference will take place at the Calabar International Convention Centre under the theme “The role of Sub-Sovereigns in catalysing development through trade and investment”.

Established by Afreximbank in 2021, AfSNET provides a structured platform for African states, provinces, counties, municipalities and other sub-sovereign authorities to showcase investment opportunities, engage investors and financiers, strengthen project development capabilities and contribute more directly to intra-African trade, industrialisation and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It’s a platform for taking the AfCFTA and Afreximbank products to the grassroots.

Since its inception, AfSNET has convened more than 1,400 delegates across five editions, with 21 African countries represented, and facilitated over US$3.2 billion in investment opportunities and transactions. These investment opportunities include the US$40 million Med Aditus Pharmaceuticals project in Kisumu, Kenya, which is under preparation and envisages a manufacturing plant with capacity to produce at least two billion tablets and capsules annually for the treatment of non-communicable diseases.

In Nigeria, the Cross River State Government has appointed Afreximbank as financial adviser for the development of the US$1.7 billion Bakassi Deep Seaport project, which has the potential to strengthen maritime trade connectivity and support industrial and logistics development. In South Africa, the US$871 million Nyanza Light Metals project is under development and involves a titanium dioxide pigment manufacturing plant with a planned annual capacity of 80,000 metric tonnes, supporting mineral beneficiation and industrialisation.

The 2026 conference will build on AfSNET’s focus on investment promotion, project preparation and direct engagement between sub-sovereign governments, investors and development partners.  Previous editions have provided governments with opportunities to showcase projects, strengthen investment promotion capabilities and engage potential investors.