The Lagos and Ondo governments have urged Russian businesses and Nigerians in the diaspora to invest in promising sectors of the country to spur development, increase revenue and boost job creation.

They spoke at a business gathering organised by the Nigerian Diaspora Organisation, Russia and a group of private Nigerian entrepreneurs in Russia on Wednesday night in Lagos.

Jermaine Sanwo-Olu, the senior special assistant on diaspora and foreign relations to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, described Lagos as the most diaspora-friendly state and the gateway city between the diaspora and Nigeria. According to him, rapid infrastructural development was being carried out in line with the Sanwo-Olu administration’s objective to make Lagos a 21st-century economy.

Boye Ologbese, the commissioner for regional integration and diaspora relations in Ondo, expressed the state’s willingness to change the narrative from a civil servant state to a business-driven one.

“We want to design Ondo to become the business hub of the Southwest leveraging technology and we are trying to build the diaspora city with 24 hours electricity and better security. Plans to build the Ondo Deep Seaport are underway and investors are on the ground to key into the potential to further create employment and balance foreign exchange and trade,” he said.

Sampson Uwem-Edimo, the president of the Nigerian Diaspora Organisation, Russia (NIDO Russia), said the event serves to make Nigerians in the diaspora understand the need to look back home to contribute economically to the country.

Mr Umem-Edimo noted that trades between Nigeria and Russia in 2021 were a little under $900 million, quite low, with exports to Russia from Nigeria less than $38 million.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairman of the Nigerian in Diaspora Commission, pledged to ensure the success of the businesses of the diasporan community in Nigeria.

“Nigeria has its challenges, no doubt, but we have the population, resources and skills to make it through,” said Ms Dabiri-Erewa. “We must stop demarketing ourselves to ensure lots of investments come into the country as Nigerians are the ones to develop the country at the end of the day. Those in the Diaspora are also encouraged to come back home and vote.”

(NAN)