President Bola Tinubu has approved a Federal Government delegation led by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to represent Nigeria at the maiden Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference in Toronto, Canada.
The four-day conference, themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” is scheduled to hold from August 12 to 15.
The delegation includes Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum; Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang; and Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal.
The development was announced on Friday by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in a statement posted on X.
Other members of the delegation are the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Representatives of key government agencies, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Revenue Service, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Nigeria Export Promotion Council and the National Information Technology Development Agency, are also expected at the conference.
Canadian officials expected to participate include the President of the Treasury Board of Canada, Shafqat Ali; Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Graham McGregor; Ontario lawmaker, Deepak Anand; Brampton Mayor, Patrick Brown; Councillor Rod Power; and Ontario Minister of Women and Economic Opportunities, Charmaine Williams.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the calibre of officials attending the conference underscored Tinubu’s commitment to deepening economic cooperation between Nigeria and Canada through trade, investment and diaspora engagement.
Dabiri-Erewa described the conference as “more than a conference,” saying it was designed as an outcome-driven investment platform to connect international investors with investment-ready opportunities across strategic sectors of the Nigerian economy.
According to her, the initiative would also strengthen bilateral economic relations between Nigeria and Canada while creating opportunities for Nigerians in the diaspora to contribute to the country’s economic development.
The conference is being organised by NiDCOM in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, the Canadian High Commission in Abuja and other stakeholders.
Discussions are expected to focus on agriculture, technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, healthcare and the digital economy.
The Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference is the first investment-focused forum organised by the Federal Government through NiDCOM to promote economic partnerships between Nigeria and its diaspora community.
Nigeria remains one of Africa’s largest recipients of diaspora remittances, with the World Bank reporting annual inflows running into billions of dollars.