The Nairobi International Financial Centre (NIFC) welcomes Nairobi’s selection as one of Africa’s five Cities to Watch in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026, alongside Accra, Cairo, Dakar and Luanda. Nairobi ranks 327th overall among 1,000 global cities but an exceptional 26th for human capital. Oxford Economics projects that these five African cities together will account for one-third of the GDP growth generated by African cities in the Index over the next 25 years.
Nairobi Emerges as East Africa’s Commercial Anchor
The report describes Nairobi as East Africa’s commercial anchor and a natural gateway to the East African Community’s expanding markets. More than three-quarters of Kenya’s financial activity is concentrated in the capital.
Its deep technology talent pool, digital infrastructure and vibrant innovation ecosystem have earned it the name ‘Silicon Savannah’, with fintech investment reinforcing its emergence as a regional financial and technology hub. Oxford Economics forecasts average annual growth of 5.5% in information technology and 4.1% in finance over the next 25 years.
Industrial Growth Expected to Create 700,000 Jobs
Nairobi’s opportunity extends beyond services. The report projects industrial output exceeding US$38 billion by 2050, growing 4.4% annually in real terms, and approximately 700,000 additional industrial jobs, one of the largest expansions among the 1,000 cities assessed.
With transport and logistics improvements supporting regional integration, Nairobi’s population is projected to reach 12 million by 2050, creating new demand for infrastructure, housing, consumer services and investment. The report also points to the pressures of rapid urbanisation and the importance of continued institutional strength.
Cities where most Kenyans in America live
NIFC Focuses on Mobilising Growth Capital
For NIFC, these findings underline the urgency of converting talent and growth potential into productive capital. The Centre is prioritising the establishment and domiciliation of investment funds and sector-specific vehicles for technology, artificial intelligence and financial services, broadening access to patient and growth capital for startups and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
It is also supporting a responsible digital assets and fintech ecosystem in collaboration with the relevant regulators.
Sustainable Finance and Climate Investment
In sustainable finance, NIFC is working with the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and other stakeholders on carbon-market regulations and investment structures to mobilise credible climate finance.
NIFC Targets Infrastructure Investment
The Centre also seeks to support the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), working alongside the Fund and relevant institutions to structure and domicile project-specific investment vehicles that connect priority infrastructure projects with domestic and international institutional investors.
NIFC’s role will complement the NIF’s mandate and remain subject to applicable regulatory approvals.
Nairobi is positioned as Africa’s “Capital of Capital”
“Our ambition is to build Nairobi into Africa’s Capital of Capital, the place where global capital meets African opportunity, where funds are domiciled, businesses are scaled, and the continent’s future is financed. Oxford Economics has identified the talent, technology and industrial momentum. Our task is to mobilise the investment that turns this potential into jobs and lasting prosperity,” says Daniel Mainda, Chief Executive Officer of NIFC.
About Nairobi International Financial Centre (NIFC)
The Nairobi International Financial Centre (NIFC) is a new business environment, established to make it easier and more attractive to invest and conduct financial services and related activities in and from Kenya. The objective is to develop a more stable, efficient and globally competitive financial services sector that encourages both domestic and foreign investment, generates greater savings and contributes to the overall economic growth of the country. It is a flagship initiative under the economic pillar of Kenya’s strategic development blueprint, Vision 2030.
The NIFC is strategically designed to prioritise attracting finance and investment in key areas of development, thus improving Kenya’s competitiveness and supporting the reforms needed to move Kenya from a frontier market to an emerging market. This will attract more companies to Kenya, creating jobs and simultaneously increasing investments in local businesses, which will help companies raise new capital and grow, thereby employing more Kenyans.
