We reject diaspora voting – National Assembly declares as remittances hit $90b in five years

THE GUARDIAN

Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has revealed that Nigerians living abroad spent about N60 billion during their visits to the country in December 2024.

This is as the National Assembly declared that Nigeria is not ready for diaspora voting.

Dabiri-Erewa, who also disclosed that remittances alone in the last five years have exceeded $90 billion, described the expenditure as a testament to the diaspora’s growing impact on the Nigerian economy.

The NIDCOM boss stated this on Thursday when she appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Diaspora to defend the commission’s 2025 budget.

While praising the contributions of diaspora Nigerians and growing interest in investing and engaging in nation-building, she noted that over the last five years, the commission has made significant strides by thinking outside the box and prioritizing the diaspora population.

The NIDCOM boss said: “You know, we’ve reached a stage where in the last five years, we’ve shown that the diaspora is a powerful force, resource, and we cannot ignore them.

“And, you know, they are the number one ambassadors of our country. They will help us change the narrative of our country. And in fact, all over the world, everybody now wants to have a Nigerian as a friend. So let’s seize the moment. We can take over the world, and we will,” she said.

“President Bola Tinubu has brought in reforms that everybody should support. Tackling insecurity, building infrastructure,, taking the hard decisions that will make Nigeria a better place. So it’s very simple.

“We have 17 million of them. And how much did this generate for the growth of the economy? Remittances alone in the last five years have been over $90 billion. This December, of course, you know, it is not less than N60 billion in what they spent coming to Nigeria. It could grow but it is just scratching the surface.”

Dabiri-Erewa observed that the large influx of diaspora Nigerians in December 2024 was the result of years of consistent interaction and engagement with the community.

The NIDCOM boss explained that the commission is exploring innovative funding strategies, including working with the National Assembly committee on Diaspora to enhance its financial capacity.

Dabiri-Erewa also proposed the establishment of a Diaspora Plaza, which she said would serve as a hub for Nigerians abroad to connect, engage with government officials, and learn about opportunities within the country.

She said: “I hosted them. In fact, I didn’t rest in December. My house turned into a hosting venue because they were all coming.

And I was seeing one of them, particularly those young Nigerians. They have money to invest and they are willing to.

“Some of them are getting into local communities, local businesses. Even now, the most impressive one that we worked with, they want to start training young people in digital technology.

“What we haven’t done, which we’ll do this year, is put it in a document. So we can truly appreciate what the diaspora has done.”

Speaking, Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora, Senator Victor Umeh, expressed reservations about Nigeria’s readiness for diaspora voting.

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