Loveworld Trade & Investment Forum opens with calls for ethical global commerce, faith-driven leadership

The 2025 Loveworld Trade and Investment Forum (LTIF) opened on  Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at the Balmoral Convention Center, Ikeja, with influential business leaders, policymakers and global investors converging for two days of high-level conversations on ethical trade, kingdom-focused economic models and transformative entrepreneurship.

Delivering her opening remarks, Pastor Deola Phillips, Chairman, Board of Directors, Parallex Bank, the headline sponsor, said the fast-changing global economic landscape had made it imperative for Christian business leaders to understand the forces shaping international finance and trade.

She referenced teachings by the President of Loveworld, Reverend Dr. Chris Oyakhilome, warning of what she described as manipulation within global economic systems.

Pastor Phillips said Dr. Oyakhilome had consistently taught that “the world’s economy is built on fear, scarcity and manipulation,” adding that there was a need for believers in business to remain discerning.

She cautioned against overreliance on laboratory-engineered foods, the widespread adoption of genetically modified seeds, and what she described as “pseudo-scientific practices” in global health systems.

According to her, such practices, if left unchecked, could create new forms of economic and social dependency.

“Do not allow your organic seeds to be replaced with GMO seeds,” she urged. “The moment you depend on them for food supplies, you give them the power to determine whether or not you can plant, harvest or sell. Businesspeople must remain vigilant.”

She added that the forum would empower Christian entrepreneurs to build resilient, independent and ethical businesses aligned with kingdom principles.

Earlier, Stephanie Oforka, Head of Commerce for the Loveworld Trade and Investment Forum, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to promoting authentic, transparent and impact-driven trade.

“At Loveworld, we trade authentically by aligning every business practice with kingdom values: integrity, excellence, transparency, purpose, service and impact,” she said. “Our partnerships are Spirit-led, mutually beneficial and designed to strengthen economies while advancing the Gospel globally.”

Oforka described the LTIF as an elite convocation of entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, policymakers and thought leaders dedicated to reshaping global commerce through ethical business models.

She outlined the Forum’s core pillars: Providing entrepreneurs exposure to global markets, innovative enterprises, and a diverse pool of investors to accelerate growth, expansion and sustainability; Building Trust in Global Markets — exploring trust as a currency in international trade; Kingdom Economy — examining how economic empowerment positions believers as kingdom financiers and accelerates global evangelism; Transformative Entrepreneurship — using enterprise as a tool for global influence and positive societal change.

This year’s Forum features leading industry figures, including: Rachel Akhuetie, Director, SunTrust Energies Ltd; Eleanor Adaralegbe, CFO, Seplat Energy; Ebehije Momoh, CEO, AfriGOPay, Olufemi Bakre – MD/CEO at Parallex Bank Limited and several business leaders.

The two-day global business gathering continues through November 20, with sessions expected to spotlight ethical investments, innovation-driven development, and wealth creation through kingdom-aligned enterprise.