President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a high-powered Federal Government delegation, including Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum and five other governors, for the maiden Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference (NIDEC) in Toronto, Canada, in a fresh push to attract diaspora capital, deepen trade ties and position Nigeria as a preferred investment destination.
The delegation, to be led by the President’s Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, signals the administration’s determination to leverage the economic influence of millions of Nigerians living abroad to drive investment, job creation and economic growth at home.
The nomination was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun.
According to the statement, the conference, themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” will hold in Toronto, Canada, from August 12 to 15, 2026, bringing together senior government officials, global investors, business leaders, financial institutions and members of the Nigerian diaspora.
Balogun said Gbajabiamila would head the Nigerian delegation, which includes Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; and governors Babagana Umara Zulum (Borno), Charles Soludo (Anambra), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara).
The delegation also features representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), reflecting the government’s whole-of-government approach to attracting foreign direct investment and facilitating cross-border business.
On the Canadian side, senior political and economic leaders expected at the conference include President of the Treasury Board of Canada, Hon. Shafqat Ali; Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Hon. Graham McGregor; Ontario lawmaker Hon. Deepak Anand; Mayor of Brampton Patrick Brown; Councillor Rod Power; and Ontario Minister of Women and Economic Opportunities, Hon. Charmaine Williams.
Quoting NiDCOM Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Balogun said the calibre of officials attending the conference demonstrates President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation between Nigeria and Canada through trade, investment and diaspora engagement.
She described the event as more than a conference, saying it is designed as an outcome-driven investment platform that will connect international investors with “investment-ready” opportunities across strategic sectors of the Nigerian economy while reinforcing bilateral economic relations between both countries.
Organised by NiDCOM in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, the Canadian High Commission in Abuja and other national and international stakeholders, the conference will focus on high-impact sectors including agriculture, technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, healthcare and the digital economy.
The Tinubu administration has increasingly placed diaspora engagement at the centre of its economic agenda, recognising Nigerians abroad as a major source of investment, innovation, skills transfer and remittances.
According to the World Bank, Nigeria has consistently ranked among Africa’s largest recipients of diaspora remittances, with inflows running into billions of dollars annually, making the diaspora one of the country’s most important sources of foreign exchange. By convening the inaugural NIDEC, the Federal Government hopes to convert those financial flows into long-term investments capable of accelerating industrialisation, creating jobs and boosting sustainable economic development.
Michael Olugbode
