President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a high-powered Federal Government delegation, led by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to participate in the maiden Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference (NIDEC) scheduled to hold in Toronto, Canada, from August 12 to 15, 2026.
The conference, themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” is designed to strengthen trade, investment and economic cooperation between Nigeria and Canada while connecting global investors with investment-ready opportunities across key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the calibre of government officials attending the conference reflects President Tinubu’s strong commitment to leveraging diaspora engagement to drive economic growth and deepen bilateral relations with Canada.
Dabiri-Erewa noted that the conference is conceived as a high-level, outcome-driven investment platform that will serve as a shared commitment by both countries to expand economic partnerships and unlock investment opportunities for sustainable development.
The Nigerian delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; and the governors of Anambra, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau and Zamfara states—Prof. Charles Soludo, Prof. Babagana Zulum, Senator Uba Sani, Caleb Mutfwang and Dauda Lawal, respectively.
Also expected at the conference are Senator Ita Enang; Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany; representatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Revenue Service and the Central Bank of Nigeria; Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Aisha Rimi; Executive Director of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni; and the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.
Canada’s delegation will feature senior government officials, including President of the Treasury Board of Canada, Hon. Shafqat Ali; Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Hon. Graham McGregor; Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament, Hon. Deepak Anand; Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown; Brampton Councillor Rod Power; and Ontario Minister of Women and Economic Opportunities, Hon. Charmaine Williams, among other dignitaries.
The conference is being organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, the Canadian High Commission in Abuja, and other national and international partners.
Organisers said the investment conference is expected to serve as a strategic bridge linking global investors and the Nigerian diaspora with bankable investment opportunities in sectors critical to Nigeria’s future economic growth and development.
