•AFRIMA, California–Lagos Summit forge strategic partnership

A new economic and cultural bridge between Africa and the United States is set to take shape in California, United States as Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Founder and President of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), Mike Dada, Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, Afretrade Chief Executive Officer, Lekan Salaam, and other prominent government, business and creative industry leaders are expected to headline the California–Lagos Business & Investment Summit, scheduled for September 17–18, 2026, in Sacramento and San Francisco, California.

The high-powered two-day gathering, themed “Building the California–Nigeria Business Bridge,” is expected to bring together influential business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, professionals and members of the African diaspora to explore new opportunities for trade, investment and cross-border collaboration.

The summit is a private sector-led initiative powered by Afretrade, the US Diaspora United Chamber of Commerce, NIED Group and the Office of Diaspora Affairs of Lagos State, and is being curated to celebrate a landmark milestone in the growing economic relationship between California and Lagos.

As part of the programme, AFRIMA President Mike Dada will speak on “From Culture to Capital: Unlocking the California–Lagos Creative Economy.” His presentation, subtitled “Investing in Music, Film, Intellectual Property and the Future of Africa–America Cultural Commerce,” will focus on the enormous economic opportunities within Africa’s creative sector and the need to develop stronger investment, intellectual property and commercial structures around the continent’s creative assets.

The presentation is expected to examine how music, film, entertainment and intellectual property can serve as major drivers of economic growth while creating new channels for investment and business partnerships between Africa and the United States.

“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,” Dada said.

Other speakers and participants at the summit are expected to include Dr Charly Lemassi, Dr Badewa Adejugbe-Williams, Dr Jameine Sanwo-Olu, Victoria Remi Nkong, President, bridgeAfric, and Rory Douglas, CEO, Aqua Financial, and among other business and industry leaders.

The summit will bring together CEOs, entrepreneurs, investors, capital providers, Nigerian professionals and business owners in the United States, members of the African diaspora, and trade and development stakeholders.

Discussions will focus on sectors including technology and fintech, trade and logistics, transportation, entertainment, agriculture, renewable energy, real estate and access to capital for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The main business programme will run from 9:00am to 5:00pm and feature keynote addresses, high-level discussions, panel sessions, capital-raising opportunities and business matchmaking.

An official celebration will follow at the historic Stanford Mansion, while the Gala and Award Night will hold at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento.

The programme will continue on Friday, September 18, with a high-level diplomatic and business networking reception in San Francisco.

In a related development, AFRIMA has entered into a strategic partnership with the California–Lagos Business & Investment Summit, strengthening the focus on the creative economy as an important component of the emerging California–Nigeria business relationship.

Speaking on the partnership, AFRIMA Regional Director Central Africa, Nde Ndifonka, said music business development was central to AFRIMA’s mission.

“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.”

Established in 2011 by the International Executive Committee of AFRIMA in partnership with the African Union, with the first edition holding in 2014, AFRIMA is the longest-running and the continent’s most prestigious music award platform. The 10th edition is scheduled for 2027, with build-up events labelled RoadTo10thAFRIMA already held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; and Casablanca and Rabat, Morocco.

The awards have been hosted in major African cities, including Lagos, Accra and Dakar, and are broadcast live in more than 84 countries, reaching millions of viewers worldwide.

The AFRIMA Music Business Summit, which brings together music executives, artistes, policymakers, investors and other industry stakeholders to address the commercial development of Africa’s music industry is one of the Seven Pillars of AFRIMA.

Others Music Awards, which recognise Africa’s finest musical talents; Music Festivals, which celebrate the continent’s cultural diversity through live performances; AFRIMA Kreative Academy (TAKA), which develops young creative professionals through training and mentorship; Talent Discovery and Promotion, which identifies and supports emerging artists; Advisory and Policy Debates, which engage stakeholders on copyright, regulation and creative-industry policies; and Advocacy, which uses music to promote peace, social responsibility and the growth of Africa’s creative economy.