“Beg The President To Give Us Nigerian Passports” — Foreigners Rush For Nigerian Citizenship, Dabiri-Erewa Reveals

Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has said that an increasing number of foreign nationals are now seeking Nigerian passports and expressing interest in staying in the country.

Dabiri-Erewa, who also serves as the Director of Diaspora Mobilisation for the PBAT/APC 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja.

Speaking on the reported interest of foreigners in acquiring Nigerian citizenship, Dabiri-Erewa said her office had received numerous appeals from non-Nigerians seeking assistance in obtaining Nigerian passports.

“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,” she said.

She said the development reflects growing interest in Nigeria among foreign nationals, including those seeking to invest and establish closer ties with the country.

She cited the example of a woman who recently told her team on camera that she had come to Nigeria and did not intend to return to her previous country of residence.

Dabiri-Erewa also highlighted the contributions of Nigerians living abroad, describing them as critical stakeholders in national development.

“Nigeria needs you, and you also need Nigeria. It’s a symbiotic relationship,” she said.

According to her, Nigerians in the diaspora include doctors, nurses, engineers, students, traders, innovators and community leaders who contribute over $20 billion annually in remittances and investments in healthcare, education, agriculture and ICT.

On the 2027 presidential election, she said the diaspora directorate would activate APC diaspora chapters across five continents, launch “Operation Tell Your Story”, encourage transparent diaspora fundraising, promote voter registration awareness and counter misinformation about Nigeria and the Tinubu administration.

She acknowledged that diaspora voting is not yet possible under current laws but urged the National Assembly to amend relevant laws to enable it, noting that Nigerians abroad can still influence political conversations at home.

She also defended the removal of fuel subsidy and unification of foreign exchange rates as difficult but necessary reforms.