A line-up of heavyweight names from Nigerian politics, entertainment and diaspora affairs is set to converge on Lagos next week for the Afretrade Entrepreneur’s Festival (TAEF) 2026, an event organisers are billing as a major step toward repositioning Africa’s economy around trade, enterprise and diaspora investment rather than donor support.
The three-day gathering kicks off on June 17 at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Victoria Island and runs through June 19, themed around what its organisers call “Africa’s Economic Renaissance.” The festival is designed to connect global enterprises, African businesses, the diaspora, and investors within a verified, execution-driven ecosystem, and its maiden edition is positioned as a shift from fragmented engagement toward structured collaboration and scalable enterprise building led by Africans at home and abroad.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, long regarded as one of the continent’s most prominent voices on economic policy, headlines the list of confirmed dignitaries. He is expected to be joined by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who chairs the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), a body whose work dovetails closely with TAEF’s core aim of channelling diaspora funds into African businesses, and by Jermaine Sanwo-Olu, who heads the Lagos State Office of Diaspora Affairs.
Veteran actor and cultural figure Richard Mofe-Damijo, known widely as RMD, will also attend in his capacity as Afretrade’s brand ambassador. Organisers say his backing of the initiative reflects a broader shift among influential Africans toward institutions built for delivery rather than mere talk. A wider roster of speakers, policymakers, investors and business leaders drawn from across the continent, the diaspora and the global corporate world is also expected to take part.
That sentiment was captured in a line organisers have used to frame the festival’s mission: “Africa does not need aid. Africa needs entrepreneurs, systems, and access. TAEF is where we build all three.”
TAEF is run by Afretrade, a global business and talent platform that connects businesses and professionals across borders. The company is incorporated in California and operates as a pan-African trade and investment platform, linking African and diaspora-owned businesses with global markets through trade facilitation, entrepreneurship support and institutional investment programmes.
Ahead of the main event, Afretrade has also been running a roadshow across African cities to scout startups and creative talent for the festival. The initiative had already attracted over 300 applicants by April, with more than 100 startups and creative talents taking part in its first round of auditions. According to organisers, the roadshow forms part of a pipeline feeding into the Lagos event, which they describe as a platform that will bring together investors, policymakers, corporate leaders and development organisations to drive collaboration and sustainable economic growth across the continent.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah