Tinubu to Diaspora Nigerians at NIDEC 2026: Move beyond sending money back home

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged Nigerians in the diaspora to move beyond simply sending money home and start building productive stakes in the country’s economy.

Tinubu gave this charge while declaring open a three-day Nigeria Diaspora Economic Conference (NIDEC) 2026, holding at the Apollo Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada.

The conference, themed “Thrive Abroad, Invest in Nigeria,” serves as a primary hub for economic diplomacy.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the President described Nigerians in the diaspora as living proof that the Nigerian spirit can compete with the best in the world.

Tinubu commended Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman /CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), and her team for convening the first-ever conference.

He said the economic power earns the diaspora a seat and a voice at the conversation table, pointing to diaspora voting as one of the issues that could be influenced once that economic power is established.

“Nigeria sees you. Nigeria values you. Nigeria needs you,” the President told hundreds of Nigerians and other stakeholders gathered in Toronto.

He noted that while economic growth, political stability and security remain the primary factors guiding where investors put their money, Nigeria’s indicators point to a country in genuine recovery.

He cited real GDP growth of 3.89 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, manufacturing expansion of 3.29 per cent, inflation easing to 15.91 per cent, and foreign reserves closing 2025 at 45.4 billion US dollars.

Tinubu stressed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected Nigeria’s economy to grow by 4.1 per cent in 2026, and credited the reforms of the past three years with improving the country’s macro-economics outcomes and resilience.

He said the World Bank had similarly acknowledged meaningful progress in restoring macro-economics stability, strengthening Nigeria’s external and fiscal position, and sustaining growth.

On the domestic front, he pointed to a new tax architecture designed to simplify compliance and ease the burden on low-income earners and small businesses.

President Tinubu further revealed that the Bank of Industry recorded its highest annual financing volume in 2025, disbursing 636 billion naira to businesses across the country.

He said the federal government continues to invest in roads, rail, ports, power, digital connectivity, healthcare, housing and agricultural value chains.

The President added that 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 urged Nigerians abroad to channel capital into agro-processing, healthcare, technology, energy, housing, logistics, mining, education, creative industries and export manufacturing.

He called on the diaspora to organise beyond scattered, personality driven transactions into professionally governed investment clubs, sector funds, co-investment vehicles and venture networks, pooling capital, demanding audited accounts, insisting on proper governance and conducting due diligence with credible professional advisers.

He said that government owed the diaspora predictable rules, transparent project pipelines, efficient consular services and stronger protection from fraud, noting that instruments such as the Non-Resident Nigerian Ordinary Account, the Non-Resident Nigerian Investment Account and the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number were practical steps to ease diaspora participation in the Nigerian financial system.

He noted the frustrations many diasporans face abroad, describing an invisible ceiling that limits how far Nigerians can rise in foreign systems no matter their talent, but insisted that no such ceiling exists for those who choose to invest at home, where the sky is the limit.

He, however, appealed for unity ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election cycle, stressing that while political contest is a feature of democracy, no partisan interest should be allowed to threaten the country’s stability.

Earlier, the Chairman/ CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa said that the conference is an opportunity to deepen engagement with the Nigerian Diaspora by harnessing their expertise for national development and accelerated growth on the nation’s economy.

Dabiri-Erewa equally urged Nigerians abroad to see Nigeria not only as home, but also as a destination for investment.

In his speech, Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo applauded the economic reforms of President Tinubu as an avenue for Nigeria to attract investment and compete for global capital.

To Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, the conference is an avenue for his administration to position his State to take advantage of new investment opportunities and attract direct investment.

Speaking in the same vein, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olajumoke Oduwole while making a case for direct investment said that focus must shift from conversations to actual investment and the best time for investment is now.