Nigeria is seeking to unlock billions of dollars in potential diaspora investments by confronting the trust deficit, weak investment transparency and inadequate investor protection mechanisms that have discouraged many Nigerians abroad from committing capital to projects at home.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative (NDSI) have identified the credibility of investment opportunities, regulatory transparency and accountability in project execution as critical to converting diaspora financial resources into productive investments capable of driving economic growth.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said Nigeria’s diaspora community possessed enormous financial, professional, entrepreneurial and intellectual resources that could support the country’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy if credible investment channels and adequate institutional safeguards were put in place.
Dabiri-Erewa spoke on Tuesday at the opening of the ninth Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS) 2026, organised around the theme, “Bridging the Trust Gap: Connecting Diaspora Capital with Credible Home-Based Opportunities.”
She said the time had come to move diaspora engagement beyond remittances and informal investment arrangements to structured, transparent and commercially viable opportunities capable of generating sustainable economic returns.
According to her, although Nigerians in the diaspora contribute billions of dollars annually through remittances, their wider investment potential remains largely untapped because of concerns over transparency, unreliable project information, opaque transactions and fraudulent investment schemes.
She identified the knowledge gap and trust deficit as two major barriers that have continued to constrain the flow of diaspora capital into productive sectors of the Nigerian economy.
“Unlocking diaspora capital requires more than passion or patriotism; it demands institutional transparency, robust regulatory safeguards, verified service providers, and clear investor protection frameworks,” she said.
The NiDCOM chief executive said the Commission was committed to transforming diaspora engagement from general advocacy into structured, secure and profitable investment pathways.
She explained the summit had been designed to give prospective investors direct access to institutions responsible for regulating Nigeria’s financial markets, facilitating infrastructure investments and improving the business environment.
The first day’s deliberations focus on capital market opportunities, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) expected to guide participants on regulated financial instruments, investment risks, entry requirements and dispute resolution mechanisms.
The second day is dedicated to infrastructure and regulatory frameworks, with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), MOFI and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) expected to provide information on infrastructure projects and investment opportunities under Public-Private Partnerships.
Other participating institutions, including the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), are expected to address business registration, regulatory compliance, anti-fraud safeguards, property documentation and reforms aimed at improving the business environment.
Dabiri-Erewa said the interactive sessions would enable diaspora investors to engage directly with regulators, scrutinise investment opportunities and obtain answers to questions relating to due diligence and the protection of their funds.
She urged Nigerians abroad to move away from informal and unverified investment channels and take advantage of the institutional mechanisms being presented at the summit.
“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria is open, improving, and ready for your structured engagement,” she said.
