By Gloria Ikibah
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has said the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference (NIDEC) 2026 in Toronto, Canada, is not another diplomatic jamboree but a strategic platform to attract investment, create jobs and increase foreign exchange inflows into Nigeria.
Enikanolaiye stated this on Monday while speaking with journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly before departing for Canada as part of the Federal Government delegation to the four-day conference. 
The minister was responding to concerns that similar international engagements in the past had produced limited tangible results and amounted to little more than jamborees.
He said the Tinubu administration’s foreign policy approach, anchored on Demography, Development, Democracy and Diaspora, was focused on measurable economic outcomes.
“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.
According to Enikanolaiye, the presence of senior Canadian officials, including the President of the Treasury Board, Hon. Shafqat Ali, and ministers from Ontario, will provide an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria-Canada economic relations.
He said discussions will focus on new trade agreements, partnerships involving small and medium-sized enterprises and improved market access for Nigerian products in North America.
The minister also said the composition of the Nigerian delegation was deliberately designed to attract investment and generate economic opportunities at both federal and state levels.
He said the participation of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Nigerian Export Promotion Council and Nigeria Revenue Service would enable Nigeria to present opportunities and incentives for diaspora investment, export expansion and remittance-backed investment vehicles.
Enikanolaiye said the initiative is expected to contribute to increased foreign exchange inflows while supporting job creation in Nigeria.
He also highlighted the participation of five state governors from Anambra, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau and Zamfara, saying their presence would help decentralise investment opportunities beyond Abuja.
According to him, the governors would directly engage potential investors on projects in infrastructure, agriculture, technology and mining within their respective states.
The minister said the conference would also support technology and skills transfer, with the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa, part of the delegation.
He said Nigeria will use the platform to explore partnerships in digital innovation, fintech and information technology capacity building as part of efforts to accelerate the country’s digital economy.
On diaspora engagement, Enikanolaiye said NIDEC 2026 was designed to connect investment-ready Nigerian projects with Nigerians in the diaspora and other high-net-worth investors.
He said the conference will also provide an opportunity for the government to strengthen its relationship with Nigerians abroad and address some of the challenges they face when seeking to invest in the country.
The minister noted that Nigeria received more than $20 billion in diaspora remittances last year, stressing the need to convert a significant portion of the funds into productive investments.
“NIDEC 2026 is designed to convert that goodwill into equity, into factories, and into businesses that employ Nigerians,” he said.
Enikanolaiye described the conference as a practical expression of Nigeria’s economic diplomacy and assured prospective investors that the country was ready for business.
“NIDEC 2026 is economic diplomacy in action. Nigeria is open for business. And we are going to Toronto to close deals,” he stated.
The four-day NIDEC 2026, themed “INVEST NIGERIA, THRIVE ABROAD”, will take place from August 12 to 15, 2026, in Toronto, Canada.
The conference is organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa and the Canadian High Commission in Abuja.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the conference would serve as a platform for connecting global capital with bankable investment opportunities in Nigeria.
