Nigeria targets diaspora investment at NIDEC 2026 conference

Nigeria is preparing to participate in the 2026 Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference (NIDEC) in Toronto, Canada. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, stated that the event is a strategic platform intended to attract investment, create jobs, and increase foreign exchange inflows rather than a ceremonial engagement.

The conference aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘4Ds’ foreign policy agenda: Demography, Development, Democracy, and Diaspora. A high-powered delegation, led by Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila and including five state governors, aims to connect investment-ready Nigerian projects with high-net-worth individuals in the diaspora.

With over $20 billion in annual diaspora remittances entering the country, the government seeks to convert these funds into equity, factories, and businesses. Key agencies, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, will participate to promote diaspora capital repatriation and remittance-backed investment vehicles.