As Nigeria seeks to strengthen its economic foundations and attract global investment, one of the key strategies emerging under the leadership of Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), is the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS), a platform connecting Nigeria’s global citizens to the country’s economic heartbeat.
Now in its eighth edition, the 2025 NDIS is set for November 11–13, 2025, at the Conference Center, State House, Abuja, with the theme: “Fast-Tracking Regional and National Development by Mobilising Diaspora Investment.”
The three-day hybrid summit, expected to feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, pitching sessions, and exhibitions, aims to leverage the $20.5 billion in annual diaspora remittances, one of Africa’s largest, to stimulate growth across sectors including agriculture, healthcare, fintech, and real estate.
What the Nigerian Diasporal Investment Summit Is All About
The Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS) is not just a conference; it’s a strategic convening ground designed to connect diaspora investors, local entrepreneurs, and government stakeholders in an ecosystem where innovation meets opportunity.
“Our goal is to help the common man, those ones that maybe all they need is $5,000 or maybe even N100,000, no matter how small or how big, said Dr Badewa Adejugbe-Williams, NDIS Coordinator. “These are the people that the banks do not give loans to but there are people with social consciousness, who want to help them as fellow Nigerians.
“They have that emotional connection. And what we are saying is that stop sending money home just for birthdays or weddings or school fees, send money home to invest in businesses so that the profit from the businesses will now pay for the birthdays and the school fees and all that,” she explained.
The 2025 edition, jointly organized by NiDCOM and the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative (NDSI), seeks to deepen investment collaboration and accelerate economic resurgence.
It will feature eight pitching sessions spanning key economic areas, healthcare, education, agribusiness, creative and entertainment industries, telecoms/ICT/fintech, manufacturing, oil and gas, and infrastructure/real estate.
Each session is expected to showcase startups and MSMEs seeking venture capital or equity participation from diaspora investors.
Beyond networking, the summit provides an avenue for the Nigerian diaspora, one of the largest in Africa, estimated at over 17 million people worldwide, to contribute to national development through sustainable and scalable business models.
Technology and Nigeria’s Business Strength
Nigeria’s growing tech and digital ecosystem will occupy a major spotlight at this year’s summit. Over the past five years, Nigeria has emerged as one of Africa’s top three destinations for venture capital, attracting nearly $1.2 billion in startup funding in 2023 alone, according to Partech Africa.
With a strong presence of fintech innovators, software developers, and creative technologists, the NDIS 2025 aims to channel diaspora capital into the country’s burgeoning ICT, fintech, and digital infrastructure sectors.
By fostering collaborations between diaspora-based professionals and local innovators, the summit positions technology not just as a sectoral focus, but as the backbone of Nigeria’s drive toward economic diversification and job creation.
Startups are expected to leverage diaspora expertise in governance, investment strategy, and technological innovation to scale operations beyond Nigeria’s borders.
NiDCOM and the Leadership of Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa
Under the leadership of Hon. Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa (OON), NiDCOM has evolved into a pivotal national institution that bridges the gap between Nigeria and its diaspora population.
Since her appointment, Dr. Dabiri-Erewa, a former journalist and lawmaker, has driven a vision that turns diaspora engagement from remittance-based contributions into investment-driven development.
Her commitment to this transformation is reflected in the NDIS initiative, which she describes as “a bridge between Nigeria’s opportunities and the diaspora’s capabilities.”
The 2025 summit also enjoys the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is scheduled to be the Special Guest of Honour, while Professor Bartholomew Nnaji, former Minister of Power and Chairman of Geometric Power Limited, will deliver the keynote address.
The coordination is led by Dr. Badewa Adejugbe-Williams, NDIS Chair and Planning Committee Lead.
Registration and Participation Options
Registration for NDIS 2025 is now open across six main categories:
General Participants: professionals and observers seeking to engage with business and policy discussions.
Business Pitchers / Investment Seekers: entrepreneurs and MSMEs looking to present scalable business ideas to investors.
Investors: diaspora and local financiers looking for viable, impact-driven ventures.
Advertisers: entrepreneurs and MSMEs looking for platforms to advertise products.
Exhibitors: individual or group of opportunists to showcase products, ideas and/services.
Sponsor: financiers trying to support/fund ideas, projects and/events.
Participants can register online through the official NDIS portal. The hybrid format ensures both physical attendance in Abuja and virtual participation from across the globe, increasing accessibility and international engagement.
Each category provides access to networking rooms, roundtable discussions, exhibitions, and sponsorship opportunities, ensuring participants can build strategic relationships that translate to real-world impact.
The Benefits and Broader Economic Outlook
For attendees, NDIS 2025 offers more than just exposure, it provides direct access to government actors, policy influencers, and industry leaders.
The summit’s structure enables participants to strengthen their professional profiles, showcase innovations, generate leads, and secure new partnerships.
Speaking in an interview, the Ambassador of Republic of Ireland to Nigeria, Mr. Peter Ryan put as that:
“I am very impressed with what I have seen and impressed with what I have heard. Not surprise at all. I learnt from Nigerians in Diaspora in Ireland that there are so many talented and motivated people ready to work with partners at home and also with partners around the world.”
Beyond individual gains, the summit aligns with Nigeria’s post-oil economic diversification agenda, seeking to reposition the country as a hub for investment and innovation in Africa.
With diaspora remittances representing nearly 6% of Nigeria’s GDP, harnessing this capital for structured investment could drive sustainable development and reduce dependence on external borrowing.
The event’s mix of pitching sessions, exhibitions, and roundtable discussions offers a rare space for collaboration, learning, and policy influence, an approach that reflects Nigeria’s evolving business identity in the global market.
The Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit 2025, driven by Abike Dabiri-Erewa’s leadership and NiDCOM’s vision, stands as a powerful statement of intent, to transform the diaspora narrative from one of migration and remittance to one of innovation, collaboration, and shared prosperity.
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