President Bola Tinubu has said that Nigeria is on the rise again under his leadership, while reiterating that leadership is about “thinking and doing” — blending visionary ideas with practical actions to drive stability, unity, and growth.

Tinubu said this on Thursday at Kahala Hotel and Resort, Yokohama, Japan, during an interactive meeting with select members of the Nigerian community on the sidelines of the ongoing Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9).

The meeting, which brought together professionals and entrepreneurs across various fields, allowed the President to share his administration’s achievements and assure them of his commitment to drive economic growth.

The President who expressed delight at meeting called on Nigerians in the Diaspora to contribute their expertise and resources to consolidating national development and building a stronger and more prosperous country.

He also expressed his delight at meeting those he described as a vibrant representation of Nigeria’s diversity, assuring the Diaspora community that his government is determined to make the country conducive for all citizens.

He noted significant improvements in passport issuance, making the process seamless for residents and the Diaspora. He reaffirmed his administration’s priority to create an environment where every Nigerian can feel the positive impact of change.

“I am happy to listen to you. I’m happy to report that many of our people are returning home. Yes, for economic reasons, some people might decide to stay away; it’s a fundamental right of the individual, but for the economic growth and opportunity available in Nigeria, don’t stay away. Your contribution is very much needed. If you stay away, who will build it?” the President asked.

President Tinubu stressed that national development cannot be left to the government alone; it requires a shared sense of responsibility between citizens at home and those abroad.

He urged the Diaspora community to remain ambassadors of the country by projecting Nigeria positively in their engagements abroad.

“If we don’t join hands and work together, then we’ve lost the hope of being the leaders we are supposed to be,” he cautioned.

He reminded his audience that the strength of citizenship is not only in holding a Nigerian passport but in character and commitment to the nation’s progress.

According to him, negative portrayals of Nigeria do little to advance the cause of development and discourage the investment and partnerships the country needs.

Regarding the economy, Tinubu assured that his administration has stabilised key fundamentals and is driving reforms to unlock immense opportunities for investment and job creation.

He said the government has also reversed the trend of medical tourism by upgrading healthcare infrastructure and expanding access to quality services at home.

The President invited the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, and the executive vice chairman of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, to speak on the government’s programmes and achievements. Wale Tinubu, the President’s nephew, provided insight into how the government’s reforms have impacted the economy positively by making businesses more competitive, attracting investment, and expanding the stock market.

Some of the Nigerians in Japan expressed their satisfaction with the pace of the government’s reforms, affirming their support. They also pledged to explore avenues for greater involvement in Nigeria’s economic and social transformation.

Mr. Emeka Ebogota, President of the Nigerian Union in Japan, thanked President Tinubu for finding time to meet with them.

He affirmed his members’ support for the administration’s efforts to reposition Nigeria.

Other notable attendees included John Ologbotsere, a Japanese national award winner for electrotechnical standardisation; Mr. Kingsley Kabuyashi, entrepreneur and investor; and businesspeople, doctors, and students.

Also present were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; Charge d’Affaires, Mrs. Florence Akinyemi Adeseke; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake; Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh; Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji; Minister of Budget, Atiku Bagudu; Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed; senior government officials, and top private sector leaders.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has assured that the process of identifying and prosecuting terrorism financiers in Nigeria is ongoing, stressing that the matter involves legal complexities.

He said: “I think the process is on, I can speak for this government … and because it has to do with a lot of legal issues and because again, it has to do with international connections. Some of them have funds coming from outside, we cannot do anything from within.

Gen Musa said this on Thursday, while featuring as on Channels Television’s Politics Today, noting that terrorism financiers often rely on local operatives who remit money into certain accounts.

“We know them. The local ones, what they do normally is to employ a few individuals, provide motorcycles for them and those ones are remitting funds daily into some accounts. So, it’s being tracked. They try to circulate these monies and that’s why it’s important for us to be able to track the funds,” Musa explained.

The CDS commended the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for its role in exposing financial links to terrorism.

“The NFIU has been doing so much, apart from the intelligence set up, the financial links are also being followed through and through and arrests have been made. I can assure you the Attorney-General of the Federation, the NSA (Nuhu Ribadu) are all working seriously to ensure that we address those issues,” he said.

Musa also disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and other security agencies are working to track politicians financing insecurity.

“You know criminals work together. They synergise their efforts together, both the bandits and terrorists, because one, a common goal, they want to make money, they want to make sure communities are suffering for whatever reason. And again, some part of politics, when there is peace, it shows the government is doing well and when there is no peace it shows the government is not doing well.

“You realise that last year, we had the least number of deaths, then, how come suddenly everything has gone up? Because politics has come in, elections are coming in. You cannot rule out the fact that some individuals are making sure there is no peace. The funny thing is that how do you want to kill the people you want to govern? What do you gain from it?”

Asked if political actors behind terrorism have been identified, Musa replied that “work is in progress.”

He further called for reforms in the justice system to fast-track terrorism cases.

“I can tell you that the DSS, the NIA, the NFIU and the DIA are all working assiduously to ensure… and again, it has to do with legal system. We have to review our legal system because some of the punishment and prosecution take too long. Maybe if we have a special court that will treat (terrorism) cases as quickly as they are. I think we also need to review the punishment for offences,” he said.

Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party Presidential Candidate in tbe 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has reacted to the trending debate on Nigeria’s deserted booth at the ongoing Tokyo International Conference. He said the situation reflected President Bola Tinubu’s “empty promises and governance” back home.

He added, “The empty booths at TICAD are not just about a diplomatic embarrassment, they are a clear symbol of the hollow promises and empty governance that our citizens have endured.”

The former Anambra governor further noted that just as those booths stood empty in Japan, “so too have the lives of millions of Nigerians been left empty, with empty hope, empty relief and empty of the progress they were promised”.

“The truth is unavoidable; the empty booths abroad are a physical reminder of the empty promises at home,” said the politician. “We must do better as a nation. Even the defence being put forward by the government, that they only wanted to have more ‘strategic engagements’, is the same tired excuse we have heard over and over again.”

Mr Obi’s statement comes shortly after a Nigerian at the conference, Idris Ayodeji Bello, posted photos of a deserted Nigerian booth on social media on Wednesday.

“I hate to show negative things about Nigeria, but it is sad that Nigeria is the only unmanned booth at TICAD9 in Japan. Upon all the folks who probably got estacode for coming to Japan,” Mr Bello lamented,” Mr Bello posted on social media, sparking reactions from Nigerians back home.

Reacting to Mr Bello’s post on X, the ministry said, “Contrary to a tweet made by a participant at TICAD, the Nigerian Booth at #TICAD9 has not yet been opened. The booth will be officially inaugurated on Thursday, 21st August 2025, after which it will become fully operational and serve the delegates of TICAD.”