Gbajabiamila leads delegation to Canada, as FG woos diaspora investors

By Folarin Kehinde

ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu has constituted a high-powered Federal Government delegation, led by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to participate in the maiden Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference (NIDEC) 2026 in Toronto, Canada, as part of efforts to attract diaspora investment and strengthen economic ties between Nigeria and Canada.

The conference, themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” is scheduled to hold from August 12 to 15 and will bring together policymakers, investors, business leaders and members of the Nigerian diaspora to explore investment opportunities across key sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the composition of the Federal Government delegation underscores the Tinubu administration’s commitment to leveraging diaspora resources to drive economic growth, attract foreign direct investment and deepen bilateral trade with Canada.

In a statement issued on Thursday by NiDCOM’s Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Dabiri-Erewa described the conference as a high-level, results-oriented investment platform designed to translate investor interest into bankable projects.

According to her, the initiative reflects the shared commitment of Nigeria and Canada to strengthening economic cooperation while connecting global investors with investment-ready opportunities in Nigeria.

The delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; as well as Governors Charles Soludo of Anambra State, Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Uba Sani of Kaduna State, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.

Also expected at the conference are representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and other investment and trade promotion agencies.

NiDCOM said senior Canadian government officials and business stakeholders, including the President of the Treasury Board of Canada, Hon. Shafqat Ali, as well as representatives of the Government of Ontario and the City of Brampton, will also participate.

The commission noted that the conference, organised in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, the Canadian High Commission in Abuja and other stakeholders, is expected to serve as a strategic platform linking global investors with investment opportunities in priority sectors of Nigeria’s economy.

The Federal Government has increasingly identified diaspora investment as a critical source of long-term capital and is seeking to channel remittances beyond consumption into productive sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture, technology and export-oriented businesses.

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