President Bola Tinubu has approved a high-powered Nigerian Government delegation, led by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to participate in the maiden Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference (NIDEC) in Toronto, Canada.
The conference is scheduled to take place from August 12 to 15, 2026.
The conference, with the themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” is expected to bring together government officials, business leaders, investors and members of the Nigerian diaspora to deepen investment ties between Nigeria and Canada while promoting sustainable economic partnerships.
According to a statement issued by the Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the calibre of the Nigerian Government delegation underscores President Tinubu’s commitment to expanding trade, investment and economic cooperation between both countries.
“The conference is designed as a high-level, results-oriented investment platform that reflects the shared determination of Nigeria and Canada to strengthen bilateral economic relations and unlock new opportunities for business and development,” she said..
The Nigerian Government delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Also expected at the conference are the Governors of Anambra, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau and Zamfara States-Professor Charles Soludo, Professor Babagana Zulum, Senator Uba Sani, Caleb Mutfwang and Dauda Lawal, respectively.
Other members of the delegation include Senator Ita Enang, the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, representatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), 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 Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.
On the Canadian side, senior government officials expected at the conference include the President of the Treasury Board of Canada, Shafqat Ali; Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Graham McGregor; Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament for Mississauga-Malton, Deepak Anand; Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown; Brampton City Councillor Rod Power; and Ontario Minister of Women and Economic Opportunities, 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 stakeholders.
NIDEC is expected to serve as a strategic platform linking global investors with investment-ready opportunities across key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The organisers said “the conference will focus on attracting diaspora investments into sectors considered critical to Nigeria’s future economic growth and development while further strengthening economic relations between Nigeria and Canada.’
