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The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is set to gather sub-sovereign leaders, institutional investors, and development finance institutions in Calabar, Cross River State, for the sixth African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network (AfSNET) Investment Conference, scheduled for November 12–14, 2026.

Organized in collaboration with the Cross River State Government, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and the Forum of State Investment Promotion Agencies in Nigeria, the three-day summit will take place at the Calabar International Convention Centre.

Held under the theme The Role of Sub-Sovereigns in Catalysing Development through Trade and Investment, the event aims to bridge the gap between regional project concepts and bankable commercial deals capable of driving intra-African trade and accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

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Established by Afreximbank in 2021, AfSNET serves as a structured platform connecting states, provinces, counties, and municipalities directly with international financiers. Since its inception, the initiative has drawn over 1,400 delegates from 21 African nations, facilitating transactions and investment pipelines worth more than $3.2 billion across the continent.

Notable transactions linked to the platform include the $871 million Nyanza Light Metals titanium dioxide manufacturing plant in South Africa and a $40 million pharmaceutical production facility in Kisumu, Kenya.

In Nigeria, Afreximbank is acting as financial adviser to the Cross River State Government on the proposed $1.7 billion Bakassi Deep Seaport project, designed to enhance maritime logistics and regional industrial output.

Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu welcomed the hosting rights, emphasizing that the summit provides an avenue to present local investment opportunities to global partners while forging strategic economic alliances.

Underlining the necessity of subnational engagement, Afreximbank Executive Vice-President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development, Kanayo Awani, stated that sub-sovereign entities remain central to Africa’s economic transformation, as critical infrastructure, industrial projects, and local production capabilities are fundamentally implemented at state and municipal levels.