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• NiDCOM highlights investment security, financial education, crowdfunding as keys to attracting diaspora capital
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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Nigerians in the diaspora have been urged to look beyond traditional investments in real estate and explore opportunities in the Nigerian capital market as a way of protecting their wealth against inflation and contributing to the country’s economic growth.
The call was made at the ninth Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS) 2026 in Abuja on Tuesday, where financial experts stressed the need to bridge the trust gap, strengthen investor protection and improve access to credible investment opportunities to attract diaspora capital.
At a panel discussion on capital markets, Hajia Aisha Wanka, Regional Head of First Asset Management Ltd, who represented the firm’s Executive Director, Sola Popoola, identified investment security as one of the major concerns discouraging Nigerians abroad from investing in the country.
She said asset management firms had a responsibility to provide professional guidance and help investors make informed decisions, particularly by ensuring that they understood the risks associated with different investment options.
Wanka explained that investment risks varied according to an individual’s risk appetite, financial objectives and investment horizon, stressing that investors needed to understand both the potential returns and the risks before committing their funds.
She also emphasised the importance of financial literacy and professional advice, noting that investors must understand the requirements for opening investment accounts and accessing investment opportunities.
The moderator, Kachi Okezie, a legal and business consultant, called for intensified financial education, sensitisation and public enlightenment to encourage greater participation in the capital market.
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While acknowledging the Nigerian Exchange’s efforts to strengthen market structures and promote investor awareness, he said more needed to be done, particularly in educating small businesses on how to access the capital market as a source of long-term financing.
Okezie recalled that discussions at previous editions of the summit, particularly between 2022 and 2025, had identified crowdfunding as a viable channel for expanding diaspora participation in the capital market.
He said improved investor onboarding processes and access to advisory services were also necessary to make investment opportunities more accessible to Nigerians living abroad.
In his closing remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative (NDSI), Mobolaji Lewis, said the discussions had reinforced the importance of financial education, transparency and access to credible investment opportunities in building investor confidence.
Lewis said the summit also sought to encourage Nigerians in the diaspora to diversify their investments beyond conventional options such as real estate and to take advantage of opportunities in the capital market.
He appreciated participants, sponsors and partners for their support, expressing optimism that the second day of the summit would be equally engaging and enlightening.
The panel discussion rounded off activities on the first day of the ninth NDIS, organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in collaboration with the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative.
The summit, themed “Bridging the Trust Gap: Connecting Diaspora Capital with Credible Home-based Opportunities”, is aimed at strengthening confidence and creating stronger connections between Nigerians abroad and investment opportunities at home.
