A high-profile stakeholders’ engagement workshop was held in Abuja to discuss strategies for leveraging the expertise and contributions of Nigerians in the diaspora for national development. Organized by the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) in collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM)
the event focused on a study titled “A Six Continental Survey of Nigerian Professionals in Diaspora: Policy Measure for Harnessing Contributions to National Development.”
Key dignitaries in attendance included Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of NIDCOM, Rep. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, Chairman of the House Committee on National Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Tochukwu Chinedu Okere, Chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora, and Amb. Bolaji Akinremi, Director of Trade and Investment at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also present was Hon. Soyoye Akinyode Solomon, founder of the Soyoye Akinyode Welfare Initiatives (SAWI), alongside other stakeholders from government agencies, professional bodies, and Nigerian diaspora organizations.
Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, represented by Ambassador Bolaji Akinremi, highlighted the significant role of Nigeria’s diaspora in global sectors such as academia, medicine, technology, and entrepreneurship. He emphasized that remittances from Nigerians abroad reached $19.5 billion in 2023, but much of it went towards consumption rather than productive investments.
Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa stressed that Nigeria's diaspora community is a vast, untapped resource with the potential to drive economic and social development through investment opportunities, mentorship programs, and knowledge transfer.
The Director General of NISER, Prof. Antonia Simbine, noted that over 17 million Nigerians live abroad, contributing significantly through technology transfer, policy advocacy, and investments. She called for policies that would channel remittances into industrial growth and national development projects.
This workshop marks a strategic step toward integrating Nigeria’s global talents into long-term national development planning, with stakeholders working on policies that will maximize the contributions of Nigerians abroad.
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