The Federal Government has identified Nigerians in the diaspora and strategic international partnerships as critical assets in its drive to strengthen national security, expand economic opportunities and accelerate sustainable development.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, stated this while speaking at the Dinner Night of the Nigerian Diaspora Economic Conference in Toronto, Canada, where he outlined the government’s priorities on security, diaspora engagement and international cooperation.
Enikanolaiye acknowledged that insecurity remained one of Nigeria’s major challenges but said the administration of President Bola Tinubu was deploying all available resources to contain threats that had persisted for more than a decade.
“Security remains a major challenge, but the current administration is doing everything humanly possible to ensure that we contain these that have been with us in multifaceted manner for the past 10 or so years,” he said.
The minister also announced what he described as a “new era of partnership of strategic autonomy” between Nigeria and key international partners, including the United States.
He disclosed that he had recently returned from Washington, where he participated in high-level engagements with American officials.
“I was privileged to have been part of the team meeting with the Americans,” he said, stressing that the renewed diplomatic engagement was aimed at delivering concrete benefits to Nigerians.
According to him, Nigeria’s strategic partnerships must produce measurable outcomes in security, defence, economic prosperity and the welfare of citizens.
The minister said the government was determined to deepen international cooperation in ways that align with Nigeria’s national interests and development priorities.
A major focus of Enikanolaiye’s address was the government’s renewed approach to Nigerians living abroad, whom he described as strategic assets rather than a consular burden.
“For this government, Nigerians in the diaspora are critical assets of national development,” he said.
“We don’t see you as a basket case of consular burden responsibilities always in need of government’s intervention and assistance. No.”
Instead, the minister said the government viewed the diaspora as a reservoir of highly skilled Nigerians whose expertise, capital, global networks and international experience could be harnessed to advance national development.
“On the contrary, we see you as a vital human resource with huge capacities for Nigeria which government is trying to harness in terms of our national development priorities,” he added.
Enikanolaiye also urged Nigerians at home and abroad to overcome ethnic, religious and other divisions that could undermine national cohesion, investment and development.
He acknowledged a “trust deficit” among Nigerians, particularly within diaspora communities, but called for deliberate efforts to break down barriers of ethnicity, religion and tribe.
“We are aware of the trust deficit that exists among Nigerians, especially those of us abroad. Let’s try and break those barriers of ethnicity, barriers of religion, barriers of tribe,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to build practical partnerships focused on production, investment, innovation, development and economic growth.
“Let’s relate on the functional aspect of cooperation that promotes production, that promotes development, that promotes growth and prosperity unto Nigerian,” he said.
The minister also acknowledged Canada’s contribution to Nigeria’s development and called for stronger bilateral cooperation based on mutual respect and shared interests.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with Canada and other international partners to develop relationships capable of producing tangible benefits for both countries.
Enikanolaiye commended the organisers of the Nigerian Diaspora Economic Conference and members of the diaspora community for their contributions to Nigeria’s development.
He said the conference provided an important platform for repositioning the Nigerian diaspora as a strategic component of national development and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s readiness to collaborate with Nigerians abroad and international partners in advancing the country’s interests.
The minister’s message underscored the government’s position that Nigeria’s security, prosperity and development will increasingly depend on the effective mobilisation of its global Nigerian community and strategic partnerships anchored on mutual respect, shared interests and measurable outcomes.
