Nigerian diaspora philanthropy has not yet reached its full potential—despite a willingness from all stakeholders to increase its impact—and challenges remain to be addressed in order to scale-up, strategically deploy, and effectively channel diaspora giving. Regional neighbors including Ghana, Senegal, and Ethiopia have begun to systematically harness the power and financial weight of their substantial diaspora communities, as have other countries with substantial diasporas, such as India, Mexico, and the Philippines. The experiences of these countries can offer lessons for both high-earning Nigerian diasporans abroad and the Nigerian government. As one participant at the FP Analytics–Ford roundtable noted, Nigeria has not yet had, but is ready for, its “GERD moment”—referring to the Ethiopian diaspora’s partial financing of the country’s dam through remittances and large donations. For that to occur, members of the diaspora need to be explicitly encouraged to fund Nigeria’s infrastructure or development goals and acknowledged for playing a role in shaping Nigeria’s future.

Nigeria’s diaspora can make many transformative contributions to the country’s development and growth, whether through philanthropy, impact investment, or skills training and mentorship. However, tapping into those contributions will require stakeholders to overcome significant challenges, including a lack of coordination among actors in the philanthropic ecosystem, a low-quality information environment, and perceived or real issues with corruption, lack of trust, and limited capacity. The level of development and rate of progress within Nigeria is extremely varied sub-nationally, as is the level of public sector capacity. For example, an analysis of the approved 2025 budgets for all 36 Nigerian states found that Lagos had a planned total expenditure of N 3.4 trillion compared to just N 320.8 billion in Zamfara. Diaspora philanthropists therefore face different baselines and development challenges depending on where in the country they choose to operate, and whether they are engaging with state or federal level governments in their work. However, this variation in development level and capacity also provides an opportunity for diaspora philanthropists to target their work and resources to the areas of greatest unmet need, in collaboration with local actors and authorities. 

A diverse, well-coordinated diaspora philanthropic ecosystem can transform individual giving into scaled investments. Individuals may co-design philanthropic activities, donate or invest funds, or contribute their time and knowledge. But raising, coordinating, and deploying targeted funds from the diaspora to help meet the needs of a population requires a wide range of actors who can leverage complementary capacities. There are also specific philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs) that help generate and direct philanthropy for impact in home countries; in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa, these groups include the African Philanthropy Forum and Philanthropy Circuit.

The home country government, diaspora organizations, local NGOs, recipient communities, and other actors all have important functions. Despite the importance of a multistakeholder approach to diaspora philanthropy that leverages the strengths of each actor strategically, in Nigeria, these relationships are underleveraged. An uncoordinated approach risks limiting the scale and hindering the sustainability of philanthropic activities. This was emphasized by Dr. Malika Ouacha, assistant professor at the Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University), Zakat Foundation Institute, Lilly School of Philanthropy (UI), and UIN Jakarta, during an interview with FP Analytics. Ouacha noted that a “collaborative force” between diaspora actors and local communities can be very impactful.

Collaboration among philanthropists in Nigeria and in the diaspora is limited but growing, and certainly more can be done to encourage cooperation. FP Analytics interviews indicate that, currently, collaborative engagement on social and economic development is largely mediated through familial, hometown, and professional networks rather than formal institutional channels within Nigeria. As such, coordination remains fragmented, with many diaspora groups such as alumni associations and medical networks reliant upon ad hoc partnerships with local organizations in the absence of unified government facilitation, long-term collaboration with domestic Nigerian philanthropy, or a centralized platform to track philanthropy. In addition, the Nigerian government’s previous efforts to engage with diaspora philanthropists have sometimes struggled to gain traction. FP Analytics interviewees who engage and coordinate directly with the Nigerian government to advance their philanthropic efforts —for example, Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, through her Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, which co-designs and runs training and capacity building for civil servants—largely took the initiative in forming the public-private relationship. While diaspora philanthropists play a key role in outreach to relevant local officials and agencies, as well as local philanthropic actors, the government can also do more to engage constructively with diasporans seeking to begin or expand philanthropic work.

Eric Guichard, founder of Homestrings, recommended that the Nigerian government consider creating new financial instruments to channel diaspora giving at scale and increase diaspora investment, such as remittance-based securities. This model, which Homestrings piloted in Sri Lanka, uses the stability and high quality of remittance receivables as collateral to issue long-dated notes (15 to 30 years), thus providing the government with an independent source of capital for infrastructure finance and refinancing external debt. Diaspora bonds could additionally help to improve the stability of Nigeria’s currency, while issuing bonds over longer time horizons, as Guichard recommended, could help reduce the impact of currency fluctuations and encourage diaspora investors who may otherwise be concerned over the potential devaluation of their investments.

Efforts are underway to improve coordination and collaboration. The Nigerian government has held summits—including the Nigerian Diaspora Direct Investment Summit and Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit—to promote investment opportunities in such sectors as energy, technology, health, property, and education. Additionally, initiatives such as the I-Philanthropy platform, launched by Nigeria’s Office for Philanthropy and Impact Investing, and the African Diaspora Innovation Fund directly enable those in the diaspora to support job creation, social entrepreneurship, and micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.

Convenings and conferences aimed at the diaspora represent a key channel through which to amplify awareness of existing initiatives and launch new efforts. Nigerian Diaspora Day celebrations in 2025, for example, introduced other tangible initiatives, including a fellowship program for diaspora professionals, a housing platform and mortgage scheme, and plans for an investment trust fund to convert diaspora remittances into long-term national assets.

There are some promising nongovernmental efforts to bring together the efforts of Nigerian philanthropists. For example, the ONE Campaign, led by Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, works to increase much-needed investments to Africa and has sought to create structured channels for Nigerian domestic and diaspora philanthropy. This effort seeks to overcome a challenge for diaspora philanthropists, which is limited information regarding the activities and capacity of domestic organizations, which hinders coordination and partnership. The Nigerian Capital Development Fund (NCDF), founded by Hareter Babatunde Oralusi, is another example of nongovernmental facilitation of diaspora philanthropy. The NCDF creates a structured and regulated channel through which members of the Nigerian diaspora can funnel funds to sectors including health care and affordable housing, both of which are crucial to Nigeria’s development. Oralusi has described diaspora capital as indispensable to the future of the country. Diaspora philanthropists can engage with these efforts, and others, to increase and target diaspora-domestic collaborations, and improve information-sharing between development-oriented diaspora and domestic organizations.

Although the Nigerian government has tried to systematize diaspora philanthropy, few of FP Analytics’ interview respondents mentioned interacting with any of these efforts or having significant financial interaction with the government. It is clear, then, that greater awareness of these initiatives and frameworks is necessary to increase the impact of Nigerian diaspora giving. Mexico’s 3×1 program, for example, acts as a clear focal point for governmental coordination and interaction with diaspora giving, channeling a blend of public, diaspora, and private finance to address community needs through a consolidated system.

Not all Nigerians who are engaged in philanthropy consider their activity in those terms, with multiple FP Analytics interviewees preferring terminology such as “giving” or “investment.” This lack of formal definition of their work as philanthropy is also reflected in the informal ways in which many interviewees track and measure the impact of their work, with few setting and tracking specific metrics.

This doesn’t mean, however, that they don’t have clear ambitions. All of the interviewees for this report shared a vision or long-term goals for their work in Nigeria—whether it was a “functional health care system,” local ownership of food processing companies, or improved economic and educational prospects for young people across the country—where those age 30 years or younger comprise 58 percent of the national population.  

Dr. Tony Bello, founder and chairman of Shine Bridge Global, a U.S.-headquartered food innovation and agro-industrial platform operating across the United States and West Africa, told FP Analytics that his long-term vision for Nigeria, and Africa as a whole, is local ownership of food processing businesses, whether food ingredient processing or food manufacturing.

Yet, few of those interviewed systematically measure—or had plans to measure—the impact of their philanthropic activities. The lack of monitoring and evaluation stems, in part, from the often informal nature of many interviewees’ philanthropy. Moreover, a poor information environment, including low-quality and incomplete data on social and economic metrics, can be a barrier to increasing or measuring the impact of diaspora philanthropy initiatives.

Like many emerging economies in Africa, Nigeria has gaps in its SDG tracking data. UN Women noted in December 2020 that just under half the necessary data on women and gender equality in Nigeria was publicly available, and UNICEF highlighted in 2023 that Nigeria is missing data on one-fifth of child-related SDGs. Additionally, data on demographics and health remains incomplete and inconsistent at the national level. National household surveys also have gaps in coverage at the state level, and between urban and rural areas. Lack of data coverage makes tracking progress on areas of need exceedingly difficult, which in turn can hinder effective development interventions. Without comprehensive data, interested diaspora philanthropists and investors can struggle to accurately identify where their interventions are most necessary nor track the outcome and impact of their existing activities against stated development goals. Multilateral institutions are well placed to support the Nigerian government to close data gaps, as are companies in the technology and health sectors with the appropriate tools, reach, and infrastructure.

Some of the philanthropists interviewed by FP Analytics—such as Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, co-founder and executive vice chair of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, which supports public-sector reform in Africa—have sought to formalize their impact measurement and data collection. She shared the process of working with a major auditing firm on the foundation’s impact-measurement processes and establishing a clear and consistent set of metrics for future monitoring evaluation, noting the importance of impact measurement to building trust with partners: “We had to have proof of concept,” Aig-Imoukhuede said. “We had to say [to partners], this is what we’ve done, this is the impact, these are the results, and this is why you should work with us. . . . We try to show them how it will benefit them.”  In addition to metrics published on their website, the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation is soon to publish its first five-year impact report since its foundation in 2020, which will enable donors and partners to better understand the effects of their work.

Vincent Ibonye, a research fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, echoed this, noting in an interview with FP Analytics:

Clear, frequent communication with recipient communities and organizations can facilitate more impactful philanthropy, particularly as stakeholders seek to expand giving beyond the boundaries of philanthropists’ home communities or families. According to FP Analytics interviewees, many relationships between diaspora and domestic philanthropists or recipient communities and institutions are primarily based on personal trust and historical ties rather than systematic collaboration. As such, they can rest on assumptions about what communities need, rather than facts and data. That has prompted some diaspora groups to advocate for stronger engagement frameworks that would enhance transparency and effectiveness, while interviewees emphasized the need to create open channels of communication and mutual trust between diasporans and their proxies, partners, and beneficiaries in Nigeria.

Individuals interviewed for this report shared that they often struggle to access information and support on how best to navigate Nigeria’s regulatory and legal environment, which can act as a deterrent for more formalized philanthropy. Ibonye—the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs policy researcher—told FP Analytics: “There’s a huge lack of awareness. People don’t have information—even people who can help and facilitate a more strategic channeling of development funds from the diaspora, this information is not out there. There’s a lack of clear communication channels. There’s a lack of training on navigating Nigeria’s regulatory landscape and even capacity-building opportunities for more effective sustainable investments.” Ouacha, assistant professor at the Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University), Zakat Foundation Institute, Lilly School of Philanthropy (UI), and UIN Jakarta, told FP Analytics that while many countries with large diaspora communities are proactive in engaging those populations culturally, few are taking the next step to create or facilitate financial relationships. “The emotional connection people have for their homeland … that’s an important aspect, but that’s not the only thing you need [to be successful],” Ouacha said.

The Nigerian government could bridge this gap in several ways, including by creating teams within its embassies to facilitate diaspora giving through information-sharing, and the revival or expansion of its previous efforts to engage with the diaspora, including the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission. Established diaspora philanthropists can also share their experiences and knowledge through events, webinars, or the creation of information repositories and facilitate connections between new philanthropists and trusted actors and agents within Nigeria.

Effective channeling of diaspora philanthropy to finance national development strategies may require philanthropists to work with communities, organizations, or government agencies with which they have no prior connection. This raises key challenges, including a trust deficit that exists, particularly between philanthropists and the Nigerian government. Multiple interviewees for this report emphasized a lack of interest in working directly with the government due to perceptions of corruption as well as regulatory and policy environments they found difficult to navigate.