The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to placing Nigerians at the heart of its foreign policy, describing the country’s large population and global diaspora as strategic assets for national development rather than a burden.
Sola Enikanolaiye, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, made the declaration at the National Diaspora Day 2026 and Merit Award Dinner held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he said demography has become the central pillar of Nigeria’s reformulated 4-Ds foreign policy framework.
Addressing diaspora leaders, diplomats and senior government officials, Enikanolaiye explained that the revised foreign policy is built on four pillars—Demography, Development, Democracy and Diaspora—with greater emphasis on ensuring that Nigeria’s external relations deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
According to him, the country’s foreign policy has been redesigned to focus primarily on the welfare of Nigerians, insisting that every diplomatic engagement must translate into meaningful socio-economic gains for the people.
He described the National Diaspora Day celebration as evidence of the government’s determination to harness the expertise, investments and global networks of Nigerians living abroad to drive national development.
