Lagos State has been ranked the best state in Nigeria for ease of doing business in the 2026 Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council rankings, reinforcing the state government’s push to position Lagos as Africa’s leading commercial and investment hub.
The ranking, released in March and based on the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business Report, assessed all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory across key indicators, including infrastructure, land administration, digital service delivery, investor support systems, and regulatory efficiency.
Lagos outperformed every other state with the recognition formally presented to the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The achievement was highlighted during a ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Ikeja, where the commissioner presented the ministry’s scorecard for the third year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term.
The government described the ranking as evidence of sustained reforms aimed at transforming Lagos from Nigeria’s commercial capital into what officials now refer to as “the Business Gateway of Africa.”
Speaking at the briefing, Ambrose-Medebem linked the recognition to a broader investment drive anchored on the Lagos State Development Plan 2052 and the T.H.E.M.E.S+ agenda, particularly the economic pillar focused on building a 21st-century economy.
Central to that strategy is the “Invest in Lagos” summit series, which has become the state’s flagship investment platform.
The second edition of the summit, held in July 2025, at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, drew more than 500 investors, policymakers and business leaders under the theme, “Scaling Action: Bold Solutions Towards Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy.”
Organised in partnership with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, Sterling One Foundation and Arise Media Group, the summit focused on investment opportunities in transportation, healthcare, energy, innovation and technology.
The state is now preparing for “Invest in Lagos 3.0,” scheduled for June 8 and 9, 2026, at the Eko Convention Centre, where government officials expect participation from global investors, development institutions, governors, business leaders and international financiers.
According to the ministry, the summit is designed to facilitate large-scale investment deals across major sectors of the Lagos economy.
Sanwo-Olu had earlier led a delegation to the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council Trade and Investment Summit at Mansion House in London, United Kingdom, where he promoted Lagos as a destination for bankable investments and commercial partnerships.
During a panel session at the event, Ambrose-Medebem said sustainable investment flows depend on “markets that combine credibility with clarity.”
Beyond investment promotion, the ministry also pointed to federal recognition of Lagos’ cooperative financing programme, LASMECO, which was adopted at the 16th National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment as a model for MSME financing nationwide.
The council, convened by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, brought together federal and state stakeholders to harmonise industrial and trade policies across the country.
Officials said the adoption of LASMECO as a national template represented a major endorsement of Lagos’ approach to supporting small businesses and cooperative financing.
The ministry also highlighted the rollout of the Lagos State Industrial Policy 2025–2030, a long-term framework intended to establish Lagos as Africa’s manufacturing centre.
The policy, developed after consultations with business groups, industrial stakeholders and government agencies, outlines strategies for industrial growth, infrastructure development and investment expansion over the next five years.
As part of the programme, the state government has begun upgrading industrial estates in Matori and Ikorodu while conducting compliance and verification exercises across state-owned industrial facilities.
Lagos has also intensified diplomatic and commercial engagements with international partners.
In recent months, the ministry has hosted delegations from the United States, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates, while also participating in investment and trade forums in London and other global business centres.
The ministry disclosed that discussions with international investors covered areas including coastal protection, infrastructure development, technology, manufacturing and the creative economy.
Among the notable engagements was a visit by representatives of Apple Inc. and actor David Oyelowo to the Lekki Free Trade Zone in connection with the proposed film adaptation of Things Fall Apart.
The commissioner said the state government sees the PEBEC ranking not as a final destination but as a foundation for broader economic ambitions before the end of the current administration in 2027.
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