By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has reaffirmed its commitment to creating secure, transparent and credible investment opportunities for Nigerians living abroad as part of efforts to mobilise diaspora capital towards national economic development.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stated this while declaring open the two-day 9th Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS) 2026 in Abuja, themed, “Bridging the Trust Gap: Connecting Diaspora Capital with Credible Home-based Opportunities.”
According to an official statement signed by the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of NiDCOM, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the summit was organised in collaboration with the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative (NDSI) and brought together diaspora investors, government institutions, financial regulators and private-sector stakeholders to explore investment opportunities in Nigeria.
Dabiri-Erewa described Nigerians in the diaspora as a formidable economic force whose financial resources, expertise and global networks were critical to achieving the country’s $1 trillion economy ambition.
She, however, identified trust and knowledge gaps, fraudulent investment schemes, unverified investment channels and inadequate investor protection as major obstacles limiting diaspora participation in Nigeria’s economy.
The NiDCOM boss stressed the need for transparency, effective regulatory safeguards and credible investment platforms to unlock the enormous investment potential of Nigerians abroad.
In his keynote address, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Shehu Usman Osidi, called for stronger institutional collaboration, transparent investment processes and improved investor protection mechanisms to address the trust deficit discouraging diaspora investments.
Osidi said Nigeria must move beyond merely attracting foreign capital to building an investment environment where Nigerians abroad could confidently identify, verify, access and monitor credible investment opportunities at home.
He identified weak investment governance, fraudulent property transactions, disputed land titles, abandoned projects, unfulfilled contractual obligations and mismanagement of invested funds as some of the factors contributing to investor apprehension.
The FMBN chief executive acknowledged the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen diaspora engagement through the establishment of NiDCOM and the National Diaspora Policy, which provides an institutional framework for mobilising diaspora resources through trade, investment, entrepreneurship, public-private partnerships and knowledge transfer.
He also highlighted investment climate reforms under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly initiatives being implemented through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Using the FMBN as an example of institutional intervention, Osidi highlighted the Bank’s National Housing Fund (NHF) Diaspora Mortgage Product, officially launched in London on August 7, 2026.
He explained that the initiative was developed to address challenges confronting Nigerians abroad who wish to own homes in the country but face difficulties relating to mortgage accessibility, distance, property transactions and confidence in the security of their investments.
He disclosed that the Bank had also established a dedicated Global Business Strategic Unit as a specialised business unit to provide focused oversight, customer engagement and improved service delivery for its diaspora business.
Under the mortgage product, eligible Nigerians aged between 18 and 70 years living abroad can participate through monthly contributions of $100, $200 or $300 under the Basic, Classic and Premium categories, respectively.
Osidi, however, cautioned that access to mortgage finance alone would not resolve the trust challenge, emphasising the need for stronger collaboration with regulators, state governments, property developers and mortgage institutions to ensure credible housing supply, authentic property titles, quality construction and timely project delivery.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Summit Organising Committee and Coordinator of NDIS, Mobolaji Lewis, said the 2026 virtual engagement was designed to sustain conversations around diaspora investments despite the decision to scale down the physical summit in view of the national election campaign season.
He said the engagement would provide practical guidance on identifying, verifying and accessing credible investment opportunities while strengthening institutional collaboration.
Lewis also described the summit as an important foundation for the 10th anniversary edition scheduled for 2027.
The opening ceremony featured discussions and panel sessions on various investment opportunities in Nigeria, with participants exploring strategies for strengthening diaspora confidence and encouraging greater investment in the country’s economy.
