Abike Dabiri-Erewa Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has revealed that her office has been receiving numerous requests from foreign nationals seeking Nigerian passports, with some reportedly expressing a desire to remain in the country rather than return to where they previously lived. She disclosed this on Wednesday at a press briefing in […]
Abike Dabiri-Erewa Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has revealed that her office has been receiving numerous requests from foreign nationals seeking Nigerian passports, with some reportedly expressing a desire to remain in the country rather than return to where they previously lived.
She disclosed this on Wednesday at a press briefing in Abuja while presenting plans to mobilise Nigerians in the diaspora for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign. Dabiri-Erewa is the Director of Diaspora Mobilisation for the PBAT/APC 2027 Presidential Campaign Council.
She said the number of appeals for Nigerian passports had become significant, with some applicants asking her office to approach the President on their behalf. In her account, the requests have reached a point where she believes the Minister of Interior can provide further insight into the situation.
“On my table, you see a lot of people telling us to beg the President to be able to give them Nigerian passports. Ask the Minister of Interior. It’s too much,” Dabiri-Erewa said, describing the requests she claimed to have received.
To illustrate the reported interest, she recalled a woman who spoke to her team on camera after arriving in Nigeria and said she did not intend to return to her previous country of residence. Dabiri-Erewa also linked the interest among some foreigners to investment opportunities and closer ties with Nigeria.
Beyond the passport requests, she emphasised the importance of Nigerians living abroad, describing them as contributors to the country’s economy and development. The diaspora community, she noted, includes professionals, businesspeople, students, innovators and community leaders who support Nigeria through financial transfers, investments and other engagements.
She said diaspora remittances exceed $20 billion annually and pointed to investments in healthcare, education, agriculture and information and communications technology. She urged Nigerians at home and abroad to maintain stronger ties, arguing that cooperation between both groups remained important for national progress.
Turning to the 2027 presidential election, Dabiri-Erewa outlined plans to strengthen APC diaspora chapters across five continents and introduce “Operation Tell Your Story”, a digital campaign initiative. Other proposed measures include structured diaspora fundraising, voter-registration awareness and efforts to counter misinformation about Nigeria and the Tinubu administration.
She also called on the National Assembly to change the relevant laws to enable Nigerians abroad to vote from their countries of residence. While defending the Tinubu administration’s fuel-subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms, she described the policies as difficult but necessary and urged the diaspora community to remain engaged in Nigeria’s future.