AICL GMD, Tamuno Seeks Stronger Diaspora Investment in Africa
The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL), Her Excellency, Ambassador Maureen Tamuno, has called for stronger partnerships between Africa and its diaspora to
Ambassador Maureen Tamuno, Group Managing Director and CEO of Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL), emphasized the need for enhanced partnerships between Africa and its diaspora to boost investment, skill transfer, employment creation, and sustainable economic growth. During her keynote address at the seventh Diaspora Africa Conference in Abuja, Tamuno highlighted that homecoming should evolve beyond reconnecting with heritage to foster lasting relationships through strategic investments, knowledge sharing, enterprise expansion, and initiatives that enhance livelihoods.
Drawing upon her tenure as Nigeria's High Commissioner to Jamaica, alongside concurrent duties in Haiti, Belize, and the Dominican Republic, Tamuno stressed that diaspora involvement should encompass more than just financial remittances. She advocated for the inclusion of professional expertise, international networks, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer.
Key to strengthening collaboration, she identified five critical elements: trust, capital, skills, identity, and policy. Tamuno stressed the importance of transparent, accountable institutions and the digitization of public systems to attract diaspora investments, warning against the notion that patriotism should supplant due diligence.
Highlighting AICL's investment portfolio, which spans real estate, markets, public infrastructure, transportation, entertainment, and the creative economy, Tamuno invited diaspora entrepreneurs, investors, and institutions to forge mutually beneficial partnerships in the Federal Capital Territory. She urged a shift away from remittances for consumption towards structured investments that yield financial returns while delivering social and economic benefits.
Tamuno advocated for increased collaboration in professional training, research, technology, and enterprise development, recognizing the potential of diaspora professionals to contribute through mentoring, knowledge exchange, and partnerships without the need for permanent relocation to Nigeria.
She emphasized the importance of integrating women, young people, and persons with disabilities in investment opportunities, leadership roles, technical training, and entrepreneurship, asserting that Africa's development must champion inclusive opportunities for all. To ensure measurable outcomes from the conference's resolutions, Tamuno proposed a Homecoming Partnership Compact to monitor progress over the next 12 months, tracking partnerships established, enterprises supported, individuals trained, and jobs sustained.
The success of diaspora engagement, she argued, should be judged by the establishment of functioning businesses, responsible investments, and tangible improvements in people's lives. Tamuno urged Africans both at home and abroad to embrace shared responsibility in building a prosperous continent, stressing that trust, mutual respect, and sustained collaboration are crucial to creating a future Africa that future generations will be proud to call home.
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