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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians living abroad to move beyond sending remittances to their families and take equity in Nigeria’s economic future by investing directly in productive sectors of the economy.
Tinubu made the call on Friday, while declaring open the three-day Nigeria Diaspora Economic Conference (NIDEC) 2026 at the Apollo Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada, with the theme, “Thrive Abroad, Invest in Nigeria.”
The president, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, said Nigerians in the diaspora had demonstrated that they could compete successfully on the global stage and should now deploy their capital, expertise and networks to accelerate development at home.
“Nigeria sees you. Nigeria values you. Nigeria needs you,” Tinubu told hundreds of Nigerians and other stakeholders gathered at the conference.
He said remittances had played an invaluable role in sustaining millions of Nigerian households by supporting education, healthcare and small businesses, but stressed that they should constitute only the beginning of diaspora engagement with the Nigerian economy.
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“Remittances, though invaluable in sustaining millions of Nigerian households through school fees, medical bills and small businesses, must now become the floor of diaspora engagement rather than its ceiling,” he said.
Tinubu challenged Nigerians abroad to channel investments into agro-processing, healthcare, technology, energy, housing, logistics, mining, education, creative industries and export manufacturing.
He also urged them to move away from scattered and personality-driven investments towards professionally managed investment clubs, sector funds, co-investment vehicles and venture networks.
“Pool your capital, demand audited accounts, insist on proper governance and conduct due diligence with credible professional advisers,” the president urged.
Making a case for increased diaspora investment, Tinubu said Nigeria’s economic indicators pointed to a country undergoing genuine recovery, despite the challenges that had confronted the economy.
