By Agency Reports
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, revealed that Nigerians in the diaspora spent around N60 billion during their visits to the country over the December 2024 Christmas holiday.
Dabiri-Erewa made this announcement during the 2025 budget defense session before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Diaspora in Abuja. She also shared that in the past five years, remittances from Nigerians living abroad have surpassed $90 billion.
“We have reached a point where the diaspora has proven to be a powerful force, a resource we cannot ignore,” she said. “They are our number one ambassadors and will play a vital role in changing the narrative of our country. Around the world, everyone now wants a Nigerian as a friend. Let’s seize this moment and work together to make our country better.”
Dabiri-Erewa highlighted the significant economic impact of the diaspora, noting that remittances alone over the past five years have contributed over $90 billion to Nigeria’s economy. She also noted that during the December holidays, the spending by visiting Nigerians was estimated to be no less than N60 billion, a figure that could rise further.
The influx of Nigerians from abroad during the holiday season, Dabiri-Erewa attributed to years of consistent engagement by NIDCOM with the diaspora community. To build on this success, she emphasized the commission’s focus on exploring innovative funding strategies, including collaborating with the National Assembly committee on Diaspora to enhance its financial capacity. She also proposed the creation of a Diaspora Plaza, a proposed hub where Nigerians abroad can connect with government officials and learn about opportunities in the country.
Dabiri-Erewa also mentioned that during the holiday season, a significant amount of engagement took place at her residence, where young Nigerians expressed interest in investing in their home country.
In a separate address to the media after the session, Senator Victor Umeh (APGA-Anambra), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora, expressed concerns about Nigeria’s readiness for diaspora voting. He emphasized the need for the country to first address its own electoral challenges before extending voting rights to Nigerians living abroad.
Umeh warned against implementing diaspora voting without reliable systems and data in place, citing potential negative consequences. “We must ensure that we are properly organized and have reliable data before allowing Nigerians abroad to vote,” he said. “If the data is not accurate, it could lead to chaos in the electoral process.”
Umeh also stated that the committee would push for an increase in funding for NIDCOM in the 2025 budget. He acknowledged that funding had been a major challenge for the commission in the past, but assured that the National Assembly would continue to support NIDCOM in fulfilling its mandate.
“The National Assembly has worked hard to increase the budget allocation for NIDCOM, and we will continue to advocate for more support for the commission,” Umeh said. He added that the government needed to better tap into the potential of the diaspora community, urging the National Assembly to provide the necessary backing to NIDCOM to achieve its goals.