NAIROBI, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a specialized United Nations agency, urged African governments on Monday to leverage diaspora remittances and boost investments across the continent's major trade corridors.
Nihan Erdogan, deputy regional director of the IOM Regional Office for East, Horn and Southern Africa, noted that the African diaspora acts as a vital catalyst for socio-economic transformation by driving remittances, enterprise, trade, skills transfer, philanthropy, and investment.
"Diaspora capital, knowledge, and networks can also build businesses, create jobs, and strengthen resilience," Erdogan said in Kenya's port city of Mombasa during the opening of a diaspora investment workshop.
The five-day workshop is convened by the IOM and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), a trading bloc.
It brings together senior policymakers, investors, and donors to explore new ways to unlock diaspora investments across the continent's major trade corridors.
Erdogan emphasized that Africa's robust trade corridors can effectively channel diaspora capital to connect markets, industrial zones, value chains, and communities.
"By linking diaspora investors to what these corridors offer -- in logistics, agro-processing, cold chain, industrial parks, renewable energy, and trade finance -- we advance regional integration and inclusive growth at the same time," Erdogan said.
She stated that IOM and COMESA have fostered policy dialogue and provided technical assistance to African governments to shift diaspora remittances from consumption toward high-growth sectors such as agribusiness, digital technology, and regional trade integration.
COMESA Assistant Secretary-General for Programs Mohamed Kadah noted that governments and regional blocs now view the diaspora as a strategic engine for investment, industrial growth, and competitiveness.
"Trade corridors across the continent present significant potential for investment. Engaging diaspora actors is critical to unlocking this potential and accelerating regional economic integration," Kadah said. ■
