President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged Nigerians living abroad to channel their wealth, expertise and global networks into productive investments in Nigeria, saying their success overseas should help create opportunities and drive development at home.
Tinubu made the call on Thursday in Toronto, Canada, in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the 2026 Nigeria Diaspora Economic Conference (NIDEC), themed “Thrive Abroad, Invest Nigeria.”
The President urged Nigerians in the diaspora to invest in the country not out of nostalgia, guilt or charity, but based on “opportunity, shared strategic interest, and disciplined patriotism.”
He encouraged them to move beyond property acquisition and commit capital to productive sectors including agro-processing, healthcare, technology, energy, housing, logistics, mining, education, creative industries and export manufacturing.
“Do not merely acquire property in Nigeria; acquire productive stakes in Nigeria,” Tinubu said.
He also urged diaspora investors to see Nigeria as a gateway to the wider African market through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while advocating professionally managed investment clubs, sector funds, co-investment vehicles and venture networks.
The President stressed the need for proper due diligence, audited accounts and sound corporate governance to protect investments and strengthen confidence in the Nigerian market.
According to him, remittances that currently sustain millions of Nigerian households should increasingly be converted into investments capable of expanding production and creating jobs.
“Remittances sustain consumption. Investment expands production. Expertise builds institutions. Networks open markets. Nigeria now needs all four,” he said.
Tinubu said the administration’s economic reforms were beginning to yield results, citing 3.89 per cent real GDP growth in the first quarter of 2026, 3.29 per cent manufacturing growth and 15.91 per cent inflation.
He added that Nigeria ended 2025 with $45.4 billion in foreign reserves, alongside improved exchange-rate stability and sustained trade surpluses.
The President also cited the International Monetary Fund’s projection of 4.1 per cent economic growth for Nigeria in 2026 and the World Bank’s acknowledgement of progress in restoring macroeconomic stability and strengthening the country’s external and fiscal positions.
He acknowledged, however, that significant challenges remained, saying the next phase of the reforms must prioritise increased productivity, job creation, lower living costs and broader distribution of economic gains.
To improve confidence among Nigerians abroad, Tinubu said the government must ensure predictable policies, transparent project pipelines, credible counterparties, efficient consular services, stronger property rights and faster dispute resolution.
He highlighted the Non-Resident Nigerian Ordinary Account, Non-Resident Nigerian Investment Account and non-resident Bank Verification Number as initiatives designed to ease diaspora participation in Nigeria’s financial system.
Beyond financial capital, Tinubu called on Nigerian professionals abroad to contribute their skills by mentoring entrepreneurs, establishing research partnerships, supporting healthcare institutions, opening foreign markets to Nigerian products and transferring international standards and systems.
“A cheque can buy equipment; expertise can build the system that makes the equipment useful,” he said.
The President also called for constructive engagement between the government and the diaspora, describing factual criticism aimed at correcting shortcomings as an important part of democracy.
“Criticism that illuminates is patriotic. Falsehood that inflames is not,” he said.
As Nigeria approaches another electoral cycle, Tinubu urged Nigerians to put national interest ahead of partisan considerations and reject actions capable of destabilising the country.
“You may oppose a government; you must never wish the country to fail merely to prove your politics right,” he said.
He challenged participants at the conference to measure its success by concrete commitments rather than speeches and applause.
“Let it be measured by commitments: one enterprise funded; one institution strengthened; one young Nigerian mentored; one export route opened; one research partnership established; one community transformed,” he said.
In his closing remarks, Tinubu described the building of a prosperous Nigeria as a collective responsibility and called on Nigerians abroad to play a central role in the process.
“Thrive abroad. Invest in Nigeria. Speak of Nigeria with truth. Correct her with love. Build her with confidence,” he said.
The President also invoked the words of late reggae icon Bob Marley, quoting him as saying, “In the abundance of water the fool is thirsty.” He used the statement to highlight the opportunities presented by Nigeria’s natural resources, arable land and human capital for Nigerians willing to invest and do business in the country.
