The Federal Government has called for stronger economic cooperation between Nigeria and its citizens abroad, stressing that the Nigerian diaspora represents a vast pool of human capital, expertise and investment that can accelerate national development.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call while speaking at the Dinner Night of the Nigerian Diaspora Economic Conference in Toronto, Canada.
Rather than viewing Nigerians abroad primarily through the lens of consular services and welfare interventions, Enikanolaiye said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, considers the diaspora an important strategic resource capable of contributing significantly to Nigeria’s development priorities.
“For this government, Nigerians in the diaspora are critical assets of national development,” the Minister said.
He explained that Nigerians living outside the country possess substantial capacities that can be mobilised through structured engagement, investment, knowledge transfer and partnerships to support economic growth and national development.
According to him, the government is therefore seeking to strengthen the relationship between Nigeria and its diaspora by creating a framework that encourages Nigerians abroad to participate more actively in the country’s development.
The Minister also identified national security as a major priority of the Federal Government, acknowledging that the country continues to contend with complex security challenges.
He assured Nigerians that the government was taking all necessary measures to address the situation and contain the challenges that have persisted in different forms for more than a decade.
Enikanolaiye linked the government’s domestic security efforts with its expanding international engagements, particularly with strategic partners such as the United States.
He disclosed that he had recently returned from Washington, where he participated in meetings between Nigerian and American officials aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation.
“I came in from Washington only yesterday. I was privileged to have been part of the team meeting with the Americans,” he said.
The Minister said Nigeria was entering what he described as “a new era of partnership of strategic autonomy,” with the government focused on ensuring that international partnerships produce measurable benefits for Nigerians.
He said such engagements were expected to yield “core, concrete, positive outcomes for Nigerians” in areas including security, defence, prosperity and the welfare of citizens.
Beyond security and diplomatic relations, the Minister stressed the importance of transforming diaspora engagement into practical economic cooperation.
He urged Nigerians abroad to look beyond individual success and explore opportunities to channel their expertise, networks and resources towards national development.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s diaspora community could play an important role in strengthening the country’s productive capacity, attracting investment, promoting innovation and supporting economic expansion.
His position reflects the Federal Government’s growing emphasis on engaging Nigerians abroad as development partners rather than merely as beneficiaries of government intervention.
The Minister also called for stronger cooperation among Nigerians themselves, warning that ethnic, religious and tribal divisions could undermine the collective capacity of citizens to contribute effectively to national development.
According to him, addressing the trust deficit among Nigerians is critical to building a more productive and prosperous country.
“We are aware of the trust deficit that exists among Nigerians especially those of us abroad,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to break down barriers based on ethnicity, religion and tribe and instead focus on areas of cooperation that promote production, development, economic growth and prosperity.
“Let’s try and break those barriers of ethnicity, barriers of religion, barriers of tribe, and let’s relate on the functional aspect of cooperation that promotes production, that promotes development, that promotes growth and prosperity unto Nigerian,” he added.
Enikanolaiye also expressed the Federal Government’s readiness to deepen cooperation with Canada and other international partners, stressing that such relationships should be built around mutual respect, trust and shared interests.
He acknowledged the contributions of stakeholders working to advance Nigeria’s development and commended the organisers of the Nigerian Diaspora Economic Conference for providing a platform for engagement on the country’s economic future.
The Minister thanked the Nigerian diaspora community for what he described as an effort to “celebrate the assets of Nigeria,” and reaffirmed the government’s determination to collaborate with Nigerians abroad and international partners in pursuit of national interests.
He said the Federal Government would continue to prioritise security, strengthen strategic international partnerships and harness the skills, resources and expertise of Nigerians in the diaspora as part of broader efforts to achieve sustainable development and prosperity.
