Nigeria targets $100 billion in diaspora investment

Nigeria could attract up to $100 billion in annual investment from its diaspora if the financial, entrepreneurial and intellectual resources of Nigerians living abroad are better mobilised, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman and chief executive of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), said when announcing the 9th Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS) 2026.

The summit will be held on 10 and 11 November in Abuja in a hybrid format, with virtual participation on Zoom and limited in-person attendance at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre. It will focus in particular on investment opportunities in the capital market, infrastructure, regulatory rules and investor protection, according to NiDCOM.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa said access for Nigerian investors abroad to public institutions, regulators, project promoters and investment agencies should facilitate procedures, compliance requirements and access to available guarantees. She also stressed transparency, investor protection, institutional reliability and the quality of information to reduce reluctance linked to investment in Nigeria.

10 November will be devoted to the Nigerian capital market, with discussions on available financial instruments, entry procedures, transparency, risk management and protection mechanisms, according to NiDCOM. The summit is organised by NiDCOM with the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative (NDSI) under the theme “Bridging the Trust Gap: Connecting Diaspora Capital with Credible Home-based Opportunities”.

The stated objective comes after the US elections won by fourteen Nigerian Americans, announced on 4 November, which highlighted the presence of the Nigerian diaspora in the United States. It also follows the Nigerian Senate’s review of the $7.7 billion external borrowing, announced on 5 November.