Hamzat, stakeholders call on Nigerians abroad to support nation-building
Nigerians
By Oluwatope Lawanson/Lydia Chigozie-Ngwakwe
Lagos, Dec. 19, 2025 (NAN) The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, on Friday urged Nigerians living in the diaspora to become solution providers to the nation’s challenges by tapping into the country’s vast opportunities.
Hamzat made the call while speaking at the Connected Diaspora Innovation Challenge flagship event and the DOWA Start-up Challenge held in Lagos.
The event had the theme: “Building, Breaking and Believing in Nigeria.”
The deputy governor urged Nigerians abroad to look beyond challenges and contribute to national development, explaining that his own return from the United States was motivated by the vast opportunities available in Nigeria.
He, however, highlighted a major challenge: the tendency to promote negative narratives about Nigeria at the expense of its positives.
Hamzat urged Nigerians, especially those in the diaspora, to believe in the country, expressing optimism that Nigeria would be great again.
Also speaking at the event, Zinox Group Chairman and CEO, Mr Leonard Ekeh, advised young Nigerians in the diaspora planning to return home to be clear about the value they intend to contribute to the economy.
Ekeh said entrepreneurship required discipline, patience, and trust, warning against an excessive focus on fundraising rather than value creation and credibility.
Sharing his experience, he said that he had studied and worked abroad before returning to Nigeria over 40 years ago to establish a technology business, at a time when the business environment was largely unstructured.
“When we came back, there was no structured economy and no diaspora commission to guide us. Everyone was a hustler,” he said.
The Zinox chairman added that trust had been a major challenge in the system, which he had consciously addressed in his business operations.
Ekeh noted that Nigerians returning home today are entering a more structured environment, with reforms and systems, particularly in states like Lagos.
He also cautioned that not everyone is suited for entrepreneurship, describing it as a demanding path requiring sacrifice.
Earlier, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the event reflected the growing number of Nigerians in the diaspora returning to invest and set up businesses at home.
According to Dabiri-Erewa, the Connected Diaspora platform is providing opportunities for young innovators, particularly in technology, with some participants already positioned to receive funding.
She added that the initiative was not aimed at forcing Nigerians abroad to return permanently but at fostering partnerships and collaboration for national development.
“The best place to be is home. We have our challenges, but we must not be the first to bring ourselves down,” she said.
The co-founder of Connected Diaspora, Mr Nosa Okunsebor, said that the initiative focused on empowering Nigerians at home and abroad through technology skills such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things.
Another co-founder, Mr Siji Abere, said that the movement was built on believing in Nigeria, fixing broken systems, and promoting sustainable development.
The event brought together young innovators, investors, and key stakeholders from Nigeria and the diaspora to promote innovation, job creation, and economic growth. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
LAW/LED/OCC
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Edited by Chinyere Omeire