Nigeria’s recent sovereign rating upgrade from B- to B has raised a fresh question: what must change for the country and other African economies to climb higher and stay there?
DataPro will tackle that question at its 6th International Rating Webinar on Thursday, October 8, 2026.
The upgrade reflects an improvement in Nigeria’s credit profile, but a B rating still sits below investment grade. With the event just days away, the conversation is shifting from why investment-grade status matters to what it takes to achieve it and keep it.
The virtual event, themed “Sovereign Credit Rating: Africa’s Roadmap to Investment-Grade Status,” will run from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. WAT.
For emerging and frontier markets, a stronger sovereign credit profile can shape how international investors assess risk. The webinar will therefore explore ways to build investor confidence and boost sovereign credibility in global financial markets.
The discussion will extend beyond Nigeria to the wider challenges African economies face in improving their credit standing. Participants will consider how countries can strengthen their economic fundamentals, which reforms matter most for investment-grade ambitions, and how gains can be sustained.
There is no single route to investment grade. Different countries have strengthened their sovereign credit profiles through varying mixes of fiscal management, economic diversification, institutional development and financial resilience. The webinar will review international experiences and examine how lessons from other economies can be applied in emerging markets, especially in Africa.
Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, CFA, Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, will deliver the keynote address on “Achieving Investment-Grade Rating by 2030: The Roadmap for Nigeria.”
Her participation brings a direct policy perspective to the discussion, given the Ministry’s role in Nigeria’s economic planning and development agenda. The keynote will add to the wider conversation on the reforms, economic governance and policy priorities needed to strengthen Nigeria’s sovereign credit profile.
The event will bring together policymakers, development institutions, financial market operators, investors and corporate stakeholders for a high-level exchange on sovereign credit ratings, reform priorities, investor confidence and the road to investment-grade status.
From explaining sovereign credit ratings and assessing Nigeria’s recent upgrade to identifying reform priorities, building investor confidence and drawing on international experience, the webinar is designed to examine what it will take for Nigeria and other African economies to reach investment grade.
