Tinubu Sends Gbajabiamila, Five Governors, Ministers To Canada For Diasporan Investment Conference

President Bola Tinubu has approved a high-powered Nigerian government delegation headed by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to attend the inaugural Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference scheduled to take place in Toronto, Canada, from August 12 to 15, 2026

The delegation, which includes five state governors, ministers and heads of key government agencies, is expected to engage Nigerian diaspora investors and international business leaders in an effort to attract investment into the country’s economy.

According to a statement issued by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) on Friday, the governors participating in the conference are Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, Uba Sani of Kaduna State, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.

NiDCOM added that members of the delegation also include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

Officials from several federal institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Revenue Service, the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, the Nigeria Export Promotion Council and the National Information Technology Development Agency, are also expected to participate.

The conference, themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” is designed to serve as a platform for promoting investment opportunities in Nigeria while strengthening economic ties between the country and its diaspora community.

Canadian government officials expected at the event include the President of the Treasury Board of Canada, Shafqat Ali; Ontario’s 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.

NiDCOM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the calibre of government officials attending the conference reflected the Tinubu administration’s commitment to expanding economiccooperation between Nigeria and Canada.

“The calibre of officials attending the conference demonstrates President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation between Nigeria and Canada through trade, investment and diaspora engagement,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

Dabiri-Erewa described the gathering as more than a conventional conference, saying it was conceived as an outcome-oriented investment platform that would link investors with viable business opportunities across critical sectors of the Nigerian economy

According to NiDCOM, discussions at the event will focus on agriculture, technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, healthcare and the digital economy, with participants expected to explore partnerships capable of driving economic growth.

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.

The Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference is the first investment-focused forum organised by the Federal Government through NiDCOM specifically to deepen economic partnerships between Nigeria and its diaspora community.

Nigeria remains one of Africa’s biggest recipients of diaspora remittances, with the World Bank estimating that Nigerians abroad send billions of dollars home annually, making the diaspora a major contributor to the country’s economy(SaharaReporters)