The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has said that the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference, NIDEC 2026, holding in Toronto, Canada, is not a diplomatic jamboree but a strategic platform to attract investment, jobs and foreign exchange to Nigeria.
The Minister stated this while addressing journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday, ahead of his departure with the Federal Government delegation to the summit. Some members of the press had expressed concerns that such international engagements in the past yielded little or no results and amounted to jamborees.
Ambassador Enikanolaiye explained that under the present realignment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 4Ds Foreign Policy Agenda: Demography, Development, Democracy and Diaspora, there is no room for jamboree. “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.
Highlighting what Nigeria stands to gain, Ambassador Enikanolaiye said Minister said this will build Stronger Nigeria-Canada Trade Ties. With the presence of top Canadian officials including Hon. Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board, and Ontario Ministers, signals a push for new trade agreements, SME partnerships, and market access for Nigerian products in North America.
On Job Creation and FX Inflow, Ambassador Enikanolaiye told news men that the inclusion of the Central Bank of Nigeria, NIPC, NEPC and NRS on the delegation, Nigeria will pitch incentives for diaspora capital repatriation, export expansion, and remittance-backed investment vehicles. This is expected to boost foreign exchange inflow and create jobs at home.
Responding to question on the governors on board, the Minister said this will strengthen Sub-national Investment Deals. 5 Governors — Anambra, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau and Zamfara — are on the delegation to directly court investors for state projects in infrastructure, agriculture, tech and mining. This decentralizes investment and takes opportunities beyond Abuja.
The Minister said with the 4Ds agenda aimed to drive Technology and Skills Transfer , he said with NITDA DG Kashifu Inuwa on the team, Nigeria will seek partnerships in digital innovation, fintech, and IT capacity building to accelerate the digital economy agenda.
Speaking on Diaspora Engagement and Trust, Enikanolaiye said NIDEC is designed as an outcome-driven platform to connect “investment ready” Nigerian projects with high-net-worth Nigerians in the diaspora. The conference will also strengthen government-diaspora trust and provide a platform to address bottlenecks faced by Nigerians abroad seeking to invest back home.
The Minister noted that with over $20 billion in diaspora remittances to Nigeria last year, NIDEC 2026 is designed to convert that goodwill into equity, into factories, and into businesses that employ Nigerians.
NIDEC 2026 is economic diplomacy in action. Nigeria is open for business. And we are going to Toronto to close deals,” he concluded.
The 4-day conference themed “INVEST NIGERIA, THRIVE ABROAD”will hold from August 12 to 15, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. NIDEC 2026 is organized by NiDCOM in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa and the Canadian High Commission in Abuja.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the conference will serve as a definitive bridge linking global capital to bankable projects in Nigeria.
Was contained in a statement signed by Raphael Oni,
SA, Digital Media and Public Diplomacy,
Office of the Honourable Minister for State,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.