President Bola Tinubu has approved a high-level Federal Government delegation to represent Nigeria at the inaugural Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference scheduled to take place in Toronto, Canada.
The delegation will be led by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will include five state governors — Babagana Zulum of Borno, Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara.
The conference, themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” is scheduled for August 12 to 15 in Toronto.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission announced the development in a statement issued on Friday.
Other members of the Nigerian delegation include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Senior officials from 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 event.
Canadian officials listed to participate include 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.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the composition of the delegation reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to deepening economic relations between Nigeria and Canada.
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Dabiri-Erewa described the conference as more than a conventional gathering, saying it was designed as an outcome-focused investment platform aimed at linking international investors with investment-ready opportunities in Nigeria.
She said the initiative would also strengthen Nigeria’s economic engagement with its diaspora and create new opportunities for trade and investment between both countries.
The conference is being organised by NiDCOM in partnership with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, the Canadian High Commission in Abuja and other stakeholders.
Discussions are expected to centre on major sectors of the Nigerian economy, including agriculture, technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, healthcare and the digital economy.
The event marks the first investment-focused forum organised by the Federal Government through NiDCOM specifically to promote economic partnerships between Nigeria and its diaspora community.
Nigeria remains one of Africa’s major recipients of diaspora remittances, with Nigerians living abroad sending billions of dollars into the country annually, according to the World Bank.