The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has announced plans to host the 9th Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS) in Abuja from November 10 to 11, 2026, with a renewed focus on strengthening investors’ confidence and connecting Nigerians abroad with credible investment opportunities at home.
The two-day summit, organised in collaboration with the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative (NDSI), will be held under the theme, “Bridging the Trust Gap: Connecting Diaspora Capital with Credible Home-based Opportunities.”
The event will adopt a hybrid format, with proceedings taking place virtually via Zoom and limited physical attendance at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed the arrangements at a pre-event media briefing in Abuja on Friday. She was represented by the Acting Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Abdulrahman Terab.
Dabiri-Erewa said the summit was designed to address some of the major challenges confronting diaspora investors, particularly concerns surrounding transparency, institutional credibility, investor protection and access to reliable information.
She emphasised that building confidence among Nigerians in the diaspora was essential to unlocking the country’s investment potential, noting that the diaspora community could contribute as much as $100 billion annually through strategic investments.
According to her, Nigeria must establish an investment environment where Nigerians living abroad can confidently channel their resources into productive ventures without unnecessary uncertainty.
She explained that the summit would provide a platform for meaningful engagement between diaspora investors, government institutions, regulators, private-sector operators and project promoters to identify viable investment opportunities across different sectors of the economy.
The NiDCOM boss noted that discussions at the event would cover capital-market opportunities, infrastructure development, public-private partnerships and regulatory frameworks, among other critical areas.
She added that the summit would feature participation from major financial, regulatory and investment institutions, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).
Dabiri-Erewa said the involvement of the institutions would provide participants with opportunities to understand existing investment frameworks, obtain relevant information and engage directly with organisations responsible for regulating and facilitating investments in Nigeria.
She further disclosed that interactive sessions had been incorporated into the programme to enable prospective investors to have direct access to regulators, project sponsors and verified service providers.
According to her, such engagements would help address concerns, clarify investment procedures and strengthen the relationship between diaspora investors and home-based businesses seeking capital.
The NiDCOM chief also acknowledged the contributions of First Bank of Nigeria and other partners towards sustaining the summit, expressing appreciation for their continued support.
She called on Nigerians in the diaspora, business professionals, entrepreneurs and prospective investors to participate in the event, describing it as an important opportunity to explore investment prospects and contribute to national development.
Also speaking at the briefing, Chairman of the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative, Mr. Mobolaji Lewis, said the 2026 edition would go beyond mobilising funds to establishing a structured, transparent and credible investment system capable of attracting and retaining diaspora capital.
Lewis explained that the summit’s central objective was to address the trust deficit that often discourages Nigerians abroad from investing in the country, despite their willingness and capacity to support economic development.
He stressed that sustainable diaspora investment required more than access to funding opportunities, noting that investors needed credible project information, transparent processes, institutional accountability and adequate protection for their investments.
He said the organisers were therefore prioritising mechanisms that would connect diaspora capital with properly structured and verifiable investment opportunities.
On the decision to adopt a virtual format, Lewis said it was informed by the forthcoming 2027 general elections, adding that the arrangement would allow the summit to proceed while accommodating the prevailing circumstances.
He noted that the virtual platform would also provide opportunities for Nigerians across different countries to participate without the constraints associated with international travel.
Lewis further described the 2026 summit as a foundation for the 10th anniversary edition scheduled for 2027, which he said would be a landmark milestone in the initiative’s efforts to promote diaspora investment in Nigeria.
He encouraged interested participants to register through the summit’s official website, www.ndisng.com, where further information about the programme and participation arrangements is available.
