Tinubu to Diaspora: Beyond Remittances, Nigeria Needs Your Hands and Minds

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has a message for Nigerians living abroad: come closer, not farther.

Meeting with members of the Nigerian community in Yokohama, Japan, on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), Tinubu urged professionals, entrepreneurs, and students not to detach from the country’s journey, insisting that Nigeria is “on the rise again.”

The President’s tone was both encouraging and cautionary. Yes, he acknowledged, Nigerians in the Diaspora have every right to live where they choose. But he pressed them to see themselves not as distant observers, but as co-builders of a new Nigeria.

“Many of our people are returning home. For economic reasons, some may decide to stay away—it’s their right. But for the opportunities now opening in Nigeria, don’t stay away. Your contribution is very much needed. If you stay away, who will build it?” Tinubu asked.

A New Pitch to the Diaspora

The interactive session, held at Yokohama’s Kahala Hotel and Resort, wasn’t just a goodwill stop. It was a sales pitch of sorts—an attempt to convince Nigerians abroad that reforms at home are beginning to bear fruit.

Tinubu highlighted improvements in passport processing (a long-standing sore point for Diaspora Nigerians), investments in healthcare designed to cut down medical tourism, and policies that, according to him, are stabilising the economy and attracting investment.

To back him up, he invited a roster of government officials and technocrats—Senator John Enoh, Khalil Suleiman Halilu of NASENI, and even business leader Wale Tinubu—to give updates on government programmes and how reforms are reshaping the economy.

Beyond Passports and Policy

Still, Tinubu’s bigger message was about identity and responsibility. Citizenship, he reminded his audience, isn’t just a passport—it’s about character and commitment.

“National development is not the government’s job alone. We must all join hands. If we don’t work together, then we’ve lost the hope of being the leaders we are supposed to be,” he said.

He urged Nigerians abroad to act as ambassadors, countering the negative portrayals that often overshadow the country’s story. “Every bad headline makes investment harder,” one government adviser murmured at the sidelines.

Reception in Japan

The Nigerian community in Japan seemed receptive. Emeka Ebogota, President of the Nigerian Union in Japan, thanked Tinubu for engaging with them and assured him of their support. Others, from tech entrepreneurs to medical professionals, echoed cautious optimism and pledged to explore ways of contributing to Nigeria’s development.

Among the attendees were notable figures such as John Ologbotsere, a Japanese national award winner for electrotechnical standardisation, and entrepreneur Kingsley Kabuyashi, alongside students, businesspeople, and doctors.

The Bigger Picture

Tinubu’s message in Japan adds to a recurring theme of his presidency: rebuilding trust between Nigerians at home and those abroad. For years, the Diaspora has been one of Nigeria’s strongest assets—sending billions in remittances annually. But remittances alone, Tinubu suggested, aren’t enough. What Nigeria needs now is hands, minds, and voices actively shaping its future.

Whether the pitch works remains to be seen. But for Nigerians abroad, the question hangs in the air: stay away, or step in?

🔹 Quick Take: Tinubu’s Message to Nigerians Abroad in 5 Points

1. Nigeria is “on the rise again” — reforms are stabilising the economy and attracting investment.

2. Diaspora needed at home — Tinubu says remittances are not enough; expertise and presence matter.

3. Services improving — faster passport processing and upgraded healthcare to cut down medical tourism.

4. Be ambassadors — Nigerians abroad should project the country positively to boost partnerships.

5. Shared responsibility — development is not government’s task alone; citizens at home and abroad must join hands.