NIDCOM Urges Act Amendment as House Launches Tools to Enhance Diaspora Voting

By Angel Ike

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has urged the National Assembly to amend the NIDCOM Act to enhance the commission’s effectiveness.

The Commission also proposed introducing Diaspora Studies and Tours into the Nigerian school curriculum.

The call was made on Monday by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, NIDCOM’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, during the Nigerian Stakeholders Engagement on Diaspora Governance (NiSEDiG 2025) in Abuja, organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora in collaboration with NIDCOM.

At the event, the committee launched the Nigerians in Diaspora Response (NiDRes) Application and Website, designed to address communication challenges with the diaspora.

Dabiri-Erewa emphasised the importance of establishing continental offices as provided for in the current Act and called for their effective implementation.

She commended the committee for the initiative and highlighted that regular dialogue would strengthen diaspora engagement.

The NIDCOM Chair noted that through collaboration with the House of Representatives, the diaspora can no longer be ignored.

On diaspora voting, she announced the opening of a data portal to facilitate voting for Nigerians abroad.

She stated, “We want to ensure that beyond remittances, the diaspora acts as a catalyst for holistic growth in Nigeria. We are talking about seventeen million Nigerians overseas. A diaspora member is someone legally resident in another country, paying taxes, and with an official address. This will be clearly define, as not everyone will be eligible to vote.”

Tochukwu Okere, Chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora, said NiSEDiG 2025 aims to unify policies, institutions, and technology to improve diaspora governance.

The initiative seeks to align laws and government actions for better coordination of diaspora matters at all levels.

Okere added that the objectives include easier access to consular assistance and emergency aid, use of reliable privacy-protected data for planning, stronger investment and innovation linkages, improved migration management, and enhanced government-diaspora communication.

He explained that the newly launched NiDRes App and Website would simplify how Nigerians abroad access government services and communicate with missions worldwide.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who launched the initiative, acknowledged the significant contributions of Nigerians in the diaspora across various fields.

Represented by Lawmaker Patrick Umoh, he reiterated the House’s commitment to collaborating with NIDCOM to safeguard the welfare of Nigerians abroad.

The Speaker announced that the Federal Government is advancing plans for the Diaspora Voting Bill, which aims to constitutionally grant Nigerians abroad the right to vote in national elections.

He described the initiative as “a major step towards extending democratic participation to all citizens and ensuring every Nigerian voice is heard in nation-building.”