Investors Connect calls for investment in Nigeria’s future of work, businesses driving growth

Nigeria’s future of work must be built not only around emerging technologies, but around the businesses, people and sectors that already drive employment and economic activity across the country.

That was one of the central messages from Investors Connect London 2026, convened by Vivacity Development in collaboration with its UK partner, Codub Consulting Ltd., at Imperial College London on Thursday, 10 September 2026.

The event brought together investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, business leaders, development professionals and members of the Nigerian and wider African diaspora for a day of high-level conversations around investment, enterprise development, innovation, global partnerships and the future of work.

Convened by Engr. Oluwakemi Ann-Melody Areola, Founder and CEO of Vivacity Development, the event opened with a call for a more deliberate approach to preparing Nigeria’s workforce and businesses for a rapidly changing global economy.

In her opening remarks, Areola highlighted the speed at which countries are adapting their education and skills systems to changing economic realities.

She referenced China’s significant restructuring of university courses as an example of how countries are responding to the changing demands of the global economy, arguing that Nigeria must similarly rethink how it prepares its workforce for the jobs and opportunities of the future.

She stressed that the future of work conversation cannot be limited to technology and venture-backed startups.

With MSMEs employing a significant majority of Nigeria’s workforce, Areola argued that investing in the future of work must also mean investing in the businesses that currently employ Nigerians and provide livelihoods across the country.

“If we are serious about building the future of work for Nigerians, then we must invest in the businesses employing Nigerians,” she said.

She explained that this thinking is central to the purpose of Investors Connect — creating a platform where capital, enterprise, expertise, policy and international networks can connect around practical opportunities for growth.

Chidi Umeano, Principal Consultant at Codub Consulting Ltd., said Nigeria should increasingly look beyond the value of diaspora remittances and recognise the diaspora as a source of investment capital, knowledge, mentorship and international market access.

Following the opening address, Dr. Sunday Akin Dare, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Public Communications and Orientation, delivered a keynote address titled “The Strategic Bridge.”

Dare challenged entrepreneurs to look beyond simply raising capital and focus on building strong institutions capable of sustaining growth, attracting long-term investment and outliving their founders.

He emphasised that genuine scalability requires more than ambition or market size, pointing to the importance of people, technology, governance, systems, infrastructure, regulatory certainty and strategic partnerships.

Drawing on his experience across government and the communications sector, Dare also highlighted the importance of understanding local market realities when building businesses with global ambitions.

He urged founders to distinguish between market reach and genuine scalability and to recognise that strategic partnerships and institutional alignment can enable businesses to access capabilities, infrastructure and markets that would otherwise be difficult to build alone.

The programme then turned to the sectors with the potential to shape Nigeria’s future employment and economic growth.

The discussions examined financing opportunities across emerging areas of the future of work, including technology, healthcare and other innovation-driven sectors, before broadening the conversation to the sports and creative economies, agritech and sustainable labour mobility.

The second sector-focused panel was moderated by Toyosi Olosunde, Founder and Host, and featured H.E. Benedict Ogboyega, former Deputy Governor and Business Development Consultant; Dr. Jermaine Sanwoolu, Executive Secretary; and Nimata Umar, Legal Practitioner and Governance Consultant.

The discussion highlighted the breadth of Nigeria’s future economic opportunities and the need for investors to look beyond conventional technology sectors when considering employment, enterprise development and economic growth.

Another major theme of Investors Connect was the gap between having a promising business and having an enterprise that is ready to receive and effectively deploy investment.

The session, “Golden Nuggets — The Architecture of an Investment-Ready Startup,” was moderated by business strategist Evelyn Esumai and featured Dr. Lanre Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of LP Consults.

The conversation examined the importance of governance, financial discipline, credible leadership, intellectual property, compliance, business structure and clear growth strategies in building businesses that investors can confidently support.

The governance conversation continued during a fireside chat on “The Governance Imperative,” moderated by Ebaide Omiunu, Founder, with Tom Cracknell, Founder of Koyo Health, sharing insights on the role of effective governance and leadership structures in supporting sustainable growth.

The programme also examined how African businesses can strengthen their access to global partnerships, international markets, liquidity and potential exit pathways.

Moderated by Agnes Gitau, Executive Director for the EU and UK, the discussion featured Dr. Femi Joshua, Founder and CEO; Iorwa Apera, Chief Executive Officer; Jadesola Falode, Senior Risk and Compliance Lead; and Miebaka Nyanabo, Communications Strategist.

The session explored the structures, relationships and strategic considerations required to help businesses move beyond local opportunity and participate more meaningfully in global markets.

The discussions reinforced the importance of international networks, strategic partnerships, risk management and commercially sustainable pathways for businesses seeking to scale.

Closing the programme, Engr. Areola and Chidi Umeano, Principal Consultant at Codub Consulting Ltd., challenged participants to move beyond conversations and translate connections made at Investors Connect into practical outcomes.

Investors were encouraged to identify businesses for further engagement, founders to identify the steps required to strengthen their investment readiness, and experienced professionals and diaspora stakeholders to deploy their expertise, networks and capital more strategically.

Areola stressed that the success of Investors Connect should ultimately be measured not simply by attendance, but by the investments made, partnerships created, businesses supported, markets entered and jobs generated as a result of relationships developed through the platform.

“Potential becomes progress when the right people, the right ideas and the right capital connect,” she said.

Ebaide Omiunu served as compere for the event, helping to maintain the energy and flow of the programme and keeping the room engaged throughout the day.

Investors Connect London forms part of Vivacity Development’s broader international programme focused on investment, inclusive growth, enterprise development and the future of work.

Through its collaboration with Codub Consulting Ltd., Vivacity Development is strengthening its UK–Nigeria bridge, creating opportunities for Nigerian businesses and entrepreneurs to connect with international capital, expertise, markets and strategic partners.

Investors Connect is designed to provide more than a networking platform. It is intended to become a practical bridge between businesses seeking to grow and the investors, institutions, professionals and international networks capable of helping them do so.

The next phase will focus on sustaining relationships created through the London gathering, developing a stronger pipeline of investment-ready businesses and facilitating deeper connections between entrepreneurs, investors, mentors and international partners.

Investors Connect forms part of Vivacity Development’s wider international programme focused on investment, inclusive growth, enterprise development and the future of work, with further engagements planned across global business, policy and development platforms.

Following the London gathering, Vivacity Development’s international engagement continues in New York on 21 September 2026, with its UNGA side event focused on work, innovation and opportunity and preparing the next generation for the global economy.