Dabiri-Erewa: Diaspora Investment to outweighs FDI soon

By: Michael Mike

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa has said the plan of the present administration is to work at making the Diaspora investment outweighs the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI),

Briefing journalists in Abuja on Friday on activities lined up for the forthcoming Nigerian Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS), Dabiri-Erewa said the target of this administration is to ensure that Diaspora Investment in the country outweighs FDI in the nearest future.

The 6th edition of NDIS is scheduled for 13 to 15 November 2023.

NDIS is a private sector initiative supported by the Nigerian government through the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), its primary aim is to demonstrate that in the face of stiff competition for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), targeting Nigerians in Diaspora for inward investment is probably the best strategy for a country like Nigeria with over 15 million of its citizens domiciled in Diaspora.

Dabiri-Erewa disclosed that no fewer than 3,000 participants have indicated interest in the 2023 Nigerian Diaspora Invesvemnt Summit, The Nation learnt.

She noted that this year’s summit aims at attracting Diasporans investment in the area of agribusiness, technology, education, healthcare, real estate and infrastructure. Others are creative, sport and entertainment; energy, mining and manufacturing.

The NIDCOM boss explained that with the current happenings across the globe, Nigeria must stand up to take its place as the number one producer of agricultural produce.

She noted that Nigerian Diaspora in this drive remains a major player in the development of the country, hence the need to harness their investment in the country.

Dabiri-Erewa said the summit is set to ignite new aspirations for Diaspora participation in Nigeria development.

She said, “This year’s summit – a hybrid event enabling remote participation via online channels – is particularly special, being the first under the new administration of HE President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, and will have as its Special Guest of Honour and Main Keynote Speaker, HE Senator Kashim Shettima GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“With Heifer International, a nonprofit charity on a mission to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way as its Lead Sponsor, this year’s summit promises to be a significant milestone in promoting economic collaboration, harnessing opportunities, and fostering a revamped investment climate for Nigeria,” She added.

She also revealed that the Diaspora Housing Mortgage Scheme would be launched by the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa,
during the summit.

The NiDCOM boss said: “As at press time, this year’s summit already has registered, over 2,000 interested participants, including at least 72 identified Nigerian Diaspora investors, 196 small business owners, 148 representatives of private sector entities and 88 public officials from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies who are expected to attend in person, with a further 1,250 expected to participate virtually.”

The Interim Country Director of Heifer International Nigeria, Dr Lekan Tobe said, “NDIS has established itself as the premier platform for connecting Nigerians in the diaspora with opportunities for investment and engagement in the country’s burgeoning industries. NDIS 2023 aims to strengthen the bonds between Nigeria and its diaspora communities while revealing a dynamic view of investment opportunities and prospects in various sectors, particularly Agriculture, which is our focus sector.

“We feel that our goal of assisting more than two million households to achieve sustainable living income by 2030, through strategic private and public sector partnerships that will support the unlocking of the potential in Nigeria’s agricultural sector to achieve food self-sufficiency is fully aligned with that of the summit, as expressed through the NDIS initiative.”

He added that since inception, NDIS has recorded many success stories, both in terms of business connections and social impact. With over 5,000 participants recorded, 900 business links established and over 200 deals closed.

Dabiri-Erewa: Diaspora Investment to outweighs FDI soon