General
The New Rules of Diversification: Nigerian Portfolios Going Global with Real Assets
For decades, Nigerian investors have navigated economic uncertainty by leaning into familiar instruments—government bonds, blue-chip equities, fixed deposits, and, when necessary, cash-heavy real estate holdings in urban centres like Lagos and Abuja. But as persistent naira depreciation, foreign exchange restrictions, and inflation continue to erode the value of localized wealth, a structural recalibration is taking place.
High-net-worth individuals and savvy middle-class earners are increasingly broadening their investment mandates—both geographically and tactically—as diversification becomes central to wealth preservation. With Nigeria absent from recent rankings of the safest countries for foreign investment, investors are reevaluating their asset geography in pursuit of long-term resilience. While domestic assets remain foundational, there’s a rising preference for tangible, globally situated real estate as a diversification hedge against currency instability and policy unpredictability at home.
The Lagos Baseline: Holding the Fort at Home
For many, Lagos remains a primary node in their portfolio matrix. The commercial capital’s mix of residential estates, commercial high-rises, and industrial land makes it a flexible yet familiar terrain. More importantly, it serves a strategic purpose: anchoring wealth in a city whose property market, though cyclical, is backed by population momentum and urban expansion.
Emerging neighbourhoods such as Ibeju-Lekki, Sangotedo, and parts of Ikeja are drawing interest from investors seeking land banking opportunities or rental yields driven by demand for mixed-use developments. Lagos real estate listings highlight the breadth of available options, ranging from high-rise condos to gated duplexes—each representing a physical hedge in an increasingly intangible economy.
Dollarization via Miami: Strategic International Real Assets
Yet for investors with greater liquidity and international access, the pivot isn’t just away from Nigeria—it’s toward the dollar. Miami, with its dual appeal as both a financial hub and a lifestyle destination, is proving magnetic.
What makes Miami compelling isn’t just its luxury condos or beachfront appeal. It’s that U.S. real estate offers a dollar-denominated refuge from the naira’s fluctuations—serving as a practical vehicle for international diversification. Additionally, for families contemplating eventual relocation, education abroad, or second citizenship programmes, these purchases function as both lifestyle enablers and capital stabilizers.
According to trends tracked across urban housing markets, buyers from emerging economies—including Nigeria—are concentrating their purchases in areas with strong rental potential and limited inventory, ensuring asset appreciation over the medium term.
Beyond the Coasts: Asset Preservation in Middle America
Interestingly, a subset of Nigerian investors is eschewing high-profile cities altogether in favour of quieter, more affordable locations that offer consistent returns. Cities across the American Midwest, such as those in Iowa, have come under the radar—not because they are flashy, but because they are stable.
In North Iowa, for example, property values remain accessible, rental demand is steady due to regional employment centres, and ownership costs are comparatively low. For Nigerian investors seeking capital preservation over speculative upside, realty options in North Iowa are offering a compelling entry point into the U.S. housing market with reduced exposure to volatility.
What’s more, ownership in such secondary markets often comes with fewer regulatory frictions, easier financing structures, and lower ongoing tax burdens—all attractive attributes when managing foreign assets from afar.
Toronto’s Pipeline Approach: Building Equity into the Future
Canada, too, has found favour among Nigerian investors—but for a different reason. In Toronto, the appeal lies not just in what exists, but in what’s coming. The city’s pre-construction ecosystem allows investors to “reserve” property in future towers or communities years in advance, often with staggered payments and no immediate mortgage burden.
This model resonates with Nigerian buyers looking to hedge against inflation over the long term. By securing a property today at a fixed price—even if delivery is 3 to 5 years out—they effectively lock in value before inflationary pressure takes its toll.
Several upcoming residential projects in Toronto are offering buyers phased payment plans and forward-booking incentives—early-access investment opportunities that align with broader diversification strategies among Nigerians planning long-term capital deployment abroad.
Additionally, as Nigeria tightens capital controls, the gradual payment model allows capital to be moved abroad legally and incrementally, avoiding the shock of a lump-sum transfer or FX squeeze.
Strategic Asset Dispersion: Beyond Bricks and Mortar
This shift toward physical international assets isn’t merely about building wealth—it’s about preserving sovereignty over it. As trust in local financial systems ebbs and inflation eats into fixed-income earnings, the desire to hold assets in politically and economically stable jurisdictions has grown stronger.
Real estate, unlike equities or mutual funds, also offers non-financial benefits: immigration pathways, educational positioning, or even strategic relocation plans. These auxiliary gains are becoming part of the investment rationale, especially for Nigerians anticipating longer-term life transitions.
Conclusion: Real Estate as the New Reserve
In many ways, today’s Nigerian investor is not just seeking yield. They’re seeking resilience. They are de-risking against monetary policy shifts, diversifying across currency zones, and positioning assets in globally relevant geographies.
Domestic holdings in Lagos will likely remain foundational. But increasingly, they are being complemented—sometimes outweighed—by targeted investments in North America’s most resilient housing corridors. Whether through speculative future builds in Toronto, turnkey units in Miami, or quiet equity compounds in North Iowa, real estate is proving itself a globally portable store of value.
In a landscape where the rules of wealth preservation are being rewritten, owning a piece of the world—literally—may be the most strategic move of all.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The new chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assumed office with a clear message to advance the country’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the mandate of the commission as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to a statement signed by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, the Head of Media & Strategic Communications at the upstream regulator, the NUPRC boss made this assertation during her first town hall meeting with management and staff on Tuesday December 23, 2025.
She further disclosed plans to make the commission a business enabler and re-ignite investments in the upstream sector.
Recall that President Tinubu nominated Mrs Eyesan to take over the NUPRC after the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, Mr Gbenga Komolafe as well as his counterpart in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed.
In her new capacity, Mrs Eyesan also set a firm production ambition of growing Nigeria’s output and increasing gas production.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry,” she said.
The commission boss who has served for over three decades in the oil and gas sector, promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and efficiency in operations.
The NUPRC head said with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC will become the gold-standard regulator in Africa. She also promised capacity development, stronger technical depth and sustained engagement with stakeholders, unions and professional teams.
On leadership style, Mrs Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent staff engagement, while also soliciting for support and cooperation as the industry embarks on the next phase of transformation.
“If we work together we can unleash opportunities, I don’t see impediments only opportunities,” she added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to embrace religious tolerance, peace, and unity, urging citizens of all faiths to reject violence and intolerance amid ongoing security challenges across the country.
In his 2025 Christmas goodwill message issued on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President emphasised that no Nigerian should suffer discrimination or violence because of their religious beliefs, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to safeguarding freedom of worship and national cohesion.
“As your President, I remain committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect all people of different faiths from violence,” Mr Tinubu said, noting that all Nigerians have the constitutional right to live, worship, and pursue their aspirations in safety and dignity.
The President acknowledged growing concerns around religious intolerance and insecurity, revealing that he had engaged extensively throughout the year with leaders of Nigeria’s two major faiths.
In the last few months, the country faced a spate of attacks including kidnapping of school children and armed terror, involving the death of a high ranking army personnel.
He also said the government would continue to build on these engagements to strengthen collaboration with religious institutions, prevent conflict, and promote peaceful coexistence.
President Tinubu described Christmas as a period for reflection on the message of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace, urging Nigerians to draw inspiration from values of love, compassion, and goodwill that cut across all major religions.
He commended Christians in Nigeria for their contributions to national development, particularly their role in caring for the vulnerable and promoting harmony within communities.
“The love for God and love for humanity is at the heart of all the great faiths. These shared values must continue to bind us together as one indivisible and resilient people,” he said.
Reiterating his administration’s stance on security, the President said the government’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s unity and stability has remained unwavering since he assumed office in 2023. He stressed that the state would not tolerate violence targeted at any group on the basis of ethnicity or belief.
President Tinubu also appealed to Nigerians travelling during the festive season to exercise patience and discipline on the roads, wishing them safe journeys and returns.
Expressing optimism about the country’s future, the President said that with faith in God and collective resolve, Nigeria would overcome its challenges and build a nation that future generations would be proud of.
He concluded by wishing Christians in Nigeria and around the world a Merry Christmas and Nigerians a happy New Year in advance.
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