The Federal Government is targeting fresh investments, job creation and increased foreign exchange inflows as the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference (NIDEC) 2026 opens in Toronto, Canada, on Tuesday.

 

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said the four-day conference was designed to turn Nigeria’s engagement with its diaspora into concrete economic opportunities rather than another diplomatic gathering with little measurable outcome.

 

Enikanolaiye spoke on Monday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while addressing journalists before departing with the Federal Government delegation for the conference.

 

He said NIDEC 2026 was aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s revised 4Ds Foreign Policy Agenda of Demography, Development, Democracy and Diaspora, stressing that the administration expected international engagements to deliver tangible results.

 

“This administration does not travel for jamborees. We travel for results. Mr President has mandated a high-powered delegation led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, because NIDEC 2026 is a deal room for Nigeria’s growth,” the minister said.

 

He said the participation of senior Canadian officials, including President of the Treasury Board, Shafqat Ali, and ministers from Ontario, would provide an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria-Canada trade relations through new agreements, partnerships with small and medium-sized enterprises and improved market access for Nigerian products.

 

Enikanolaiye said Nigeria would also use the conference to present incentives aimed at attracting diaspora capital, expanding exports and encouraging investment vehicles backed by remittances.

 

He noted that the participation of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Nigerian Export Promotion Council and Nigeria Revenue Service would strengthen the country’s engagement with potential investors and facilitate investment and trade opportunities.

 

The minister said five governors; from Anambra, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau and Zamfara states, would participate in the conference, allowing sub-national governments to directly engage investors on projects in infrastructure, agriculture, technology and mining.

 

According to him, the involvement of the governors would help decentralise investment opportunities and ensure that viable projects outside Abuja also receive international attention and capital.

 

He said technology and skills transfer would also feature prominently at the conference, with the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa, expected to lead discussions around digital innovation, fintech and information technology capacity building.

 

Enikanolaiye said NIDEC 2026 was structured to connect “investment-ready” Nigerian projects with high-net-worth Nigerians in the diaspora and address bottlenecks that discourage Nigerians abroad from investing in the country.

 

He said the government was also seeking to strengthen trust between Nigeria and its diaspora by providing a more structured platform for engagement and investment.

 

The minister noted that Nigeria received more than $20 billion in diaspora remittances last year, but stressed that the government wanted to encourage the conversion of such inflows into productive investments capable of creating jobs and expanding the economy.

 

“We are going to Toronto to close deals,” Enikanolaiye said, describing the conference as “economic diplomacy in action.”

 

The conference, themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” will hold from August 12 to 15, 2026, in Toronto.

 

It is organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa and the Canadian High Commission in Abuja.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the conference would provide a platform for connecting global capital with bankable projects in Nigeria while deepening economic and commercial relations between Nigeria and Canada.