Leaders and representatives of key Nigerian diaspora organisations and other stakeholders have pledged support for the annual Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS), as planning for its 7th edition this November intensifies. Members of the organising committee of the summit last Saturday, held a virtual meeting with over thirty participants from around the world in attendance.
Welcoming participants, Dr Adejugbe-Williams, the summit’s coordinator who chaired the meeting, described it as a “family get together”. She said, “The aim of this “family get together,” which is what we really are, is to bring us up to speed on what NDIS has been doing for our country and to thank everyone for the various ways you have been supporting this effort.”
The NDIS coordinator paid tribute to the Chairman/CEO of NIDCOM, Hon Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa OON, whose transformational leadership has energised the whole process thus far. Dr Adejugbe-Williams recalled how as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon Adike Dabiri-Erewa facilitated the presentation of the NDIS idea to the then President, Muhammad Buhari, who immediately gave the greenlight for the first summit to take place in November 2018.
Dr Adejugbe-Williams also highlighted the important role played by Professor Manny and NIDAN in the formative stage of NDIS, adding that without NIDAN, NDIS wouldn’t be in existence today. “Without, NIDAN, bringing us all together through its various sectoral fora, the idea of coming together, as newly-returned Diasporans, to pool together our skills, talents, experience and other resources for greater impact would not have taken hold.”
Mr Saheed Adeleye of NAPAC and an executive of NiDO America (NiDO-A) who moderated the discussions said: “The main purpose of this gathering is to solicit the support and engagement of the leaders of various Nigerian diaspora organisations and community groups worldwide in the lead-up to the 7th edition of the NDIS scheduled for 12 to 14 November, 2024.”
He explained, “This effort aligns with the shared vision of contributing to the development of our beloved country, Nigeria; a vision which I’m sure is shared by all of us here and for which we’re never tired of giving our best, at all times.”
The meeting featured presentations by some members of the planning committee including Dr Adejugbe-Williams, Mr Mobolaji Lewis, Mrs Marie David, and Mr Kachi Okezie, followed by feedback and Q and A segments.
Dr Adejugbe-Williams gave an overview of the NDIS, which she said was inaugurated in 2018 and co-convened with the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora. “Following the success of the inaugural event, the summit was institutionalised as an annual event. Since then, it has been co-hosted by the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative (NDSI) and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), she stated.”
The summit coordinator emphasised that the objectives of the stakeholders’ meeting were to highlight the resources available within the diaspora community and to encourage diasporans, through their various community organisations and groups, to unify their efforts in channelling diaspora capital into the country. She noted that over the years, the NDIS had provided the needed catalytic platform for the diaspora to safely invest in the Nigerian economy by showcasing investment opportunities and attracting the diaspora to invest to these opportunities.
In his presentation, Mr Mobolaji Lewis, who leads the security and logistics team within the planning committee, reiterated the potential of the diaspora for major impact, stating that their role should shift from merely sending remittances to investing in Nigerian businesses, which he believes is vital for sustainable economic development. “NDIS offers immense opportunities for the diaspora to invest not just funds but also ideas and knowledge in Nigeria in carefully screened and selected home-based ventures,” he noted.
Mr Lewis emphasised the need for diaspora organisations to support the NDIS in attracting investment, thereby promoting national development through Foreign Direct Investment with its attendant job creation.
In her presentation, Mrs Marie David underscored the vital role of partnership and collaboration in achieving real impact, noting that NDIS has facilitated and fostered various partnerships over the past six years. She explained that a key purpose of the meeting was to encourage partnership and collaboration with other diaspora groups, government agencies, the private sector and the media, in promoting the shared vision of all Nigerians of building a better and more prosperous country for all Nigerians. She said, “It is a fact that attracting significant diaspora investment into the country requires collaboration and partnership.”
Mr Kachi Okezie, who leads the media and publicity sub-committee, said that the story of NDIS is best told through the medium of the impacted individuals. He explained that the use of independent evaluators to assess each summit’s impact was to encourage the media to engage directly with participants and beneficiaries so as to gain a direct feel for the impact of participation on those who have participated or benefitted, especially the small business owners. He added that testimonials from past participants were available on the summit website, attesting to the positive impact of NDIS on their lives and businesses.
Okezie announced that the upcoming 7th edition of the summit, scheduled for 12-14, November 2024, will feature more success stories from past participants and will involve closer collaboration with the media, both in the lead-up and after the summit. He further announced that as part of giving back to the community, a free business pitching webinar is being rolled out in August, where seasoned entrepreneurs, investors and business coaches will train small business owners, start-ups and NGO founders on how to pitch an idea to international investors. These are free to anyone based in Nigeria and details will be posted on the website: www.ndisng.com
Prof Manny Aniebonam, CEO of Afrihub Group and President of Nigerian Diaspora Alumni Network (NIDAN) commended the active participation of various diaspora organisations from around the world at the stakeholders meeting. He applauded the NDIS team for their efforts in facilitating diaspora investment into the country and emphasised the need for increased support for NDIS to enable them achieve more.
Prof Aniebonam hailed the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission under the leadership of Hon. Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stressing the need for the entire diaspora community supporting the Commission in its vision for the country. He underscored the need for the Commission to encourage the government to address issues hindering investment inflows to the country, noting that the Diaspora invested $19.55 billion into the country in 2023, a slight decrease from the $22 billion invested in 2022.
Contributing, Mr Chike Nwoffiah, founding director of California-based Silicon Valley African Film Festival, emphasised the importance of widening the global reach of the summit by inviting the historical African diaspora such as the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and the Black Chamber of Commerce (BCC) as well as the governments of Salvador, Brazil and various Caribbean countries, to participate. He noted that these countries known for their significant concentrations of black communities were actively seeking such collaborations.
In response to the presentations, leaders and representatives of the various organisations and stakeholders present took turns to pledge their support for the NDIS. Mr Eugene Nwosu, President of the Irish Nigeria Business Alliance, described NDIS as a credible and impactful initiative which his organisation will continue to mobilise resources for and support, for the greater good of Nigeria. Dr Sam Adewale, representing the Nigeria Canadian Business Network, expressed his organisation’s readiness to collaborate with NDIS. Similarly, Mr Kola Olaoye, representing NiDO America, stated that his organisation was looking forward to this collaboration, while Mrs Winifred Gaillard referenced her organisation’s partnership with NDSI in delivering a successful AfricaDay event in Paris last May, and had no hesitation in supporting the summit.
Delivering the closing remarks, the head of strategy and innovation at NIDCOM, Hon Abdulrahman Terab thanked all the participants for their engagement and contributions. He underscored the importance of these partnerships in driving national development and acknowledged the significant role that diaspora communities are playing in the economic growth of Nigeria. Hon Terab said he was looking forward to a successful collaboration between the diaspora organisations and the NDIS.
Among those in attendance were Professor Manny Anaebonam, President, Nigerian Diaspora and Alumni Network (NIDAN); Madam Lara Okunubi and Mr Saheed Adeleye of Nigeria-America Public Affairs Committee (NAPAC); Mrs Winifred Gaillard, founder of Paris-based AfricaFora; and Hon Terab, head of strategy and innovation at Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM). Others include Mr Chike Nwoffiah, founding director, Silicon Valley African Film Festival; Dr Sam Adewale, representing the Nigeria Canadian Business Network (NCBN); Mr Kola Olaoye, representing NiDO America; Dr Wasiu Adisa, Chair of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in America (ANPA); Mr. Eugene Nwosu, President, Irish Nigeria Business Alliance (INBA); Mr Uche Uzoigwe (NiDO-America); Ms Mercy Gilbert (Africa Business Forum); Dr Funso Ani, a medical doctor and Mr Tosin Adebisi, an education consultant.
The Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS) isan annual business matchmaking event jointly organised by NIDCOM and NDIS, which brings together investors mostly from the Nigerian diaspora seeking to invest in Nigeria and the Nigerian-based MSMEs, start-ups and nonprofits offering such opportunities. For more information, visit www.ndisng.com
Kachi Okezie, Esq, chairs the media and publicity sub-committee of NDIS and can be reached on 08130147013 (WhatsApp only) or kachiokezie2022@gmail.com
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