Nowadays the perception of Nigerians seems to be changing for the better, and it is in no small part due to efforts ongoing within President Bola Tinubu’s administration seeking to drive diplomacy with once used-to-be distant countries of the world be it in Europe or the middle east, while keeping pressure on terrorists at home.

The chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa as the key figure spearheading this positive shift in Nigeria’s image sees all these happening at a National Assembly joint committee on diaspora meeting she attended on Thursday 16  January 2025.

All the positive outlooks she highlighted have found strength in the contributions being made by the diaspora community. Over the last Christmas holiday alone when this special group visited home, the chairperson reported that ₦60 billion was realised.

This was the direct result of the spending these visitors made while reconnecting with loved ones they hadn’t seen in a while, hence the reason why she will be pushing for a substantial increase in NiDCOM’s budget to cater for new initiatives like building a diaspora plaza where the globe-trotting Nigerians can be welcomed alongside for networking.

Having a diaspora plaza built, says Mrs Dabiri-Erewa will permit further meaningful contributions from Nigerians living and working abroad.

You know, we have reached a stage where in the last five years, we have shown that the diaspora is a powerful force, resource, and we cannot ignore them. he said.

Being the number one ambassador of our country, the chairperson adds, the diaspora will help us change the narrative of our country.

Over the past 25 years of running an uninterrupted democracy has seen Nigeria struggle with an image of corruption and its citizens, especially the youngest population involving themselves in internet scams targeting Western civilisations, making a bad situation of negative perceptions even worse.

Under President Tinubu’s leadership, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission chairperson sees things getting better. Speaking to the parliamentarians hosting her, she said all over the world, everybody now wants to have a Nigerian as a friend.

Believing in Nigeria’s capability to take over the world, it is why she thinks the national assembly should seize the moment. The future population forecast supports this call the NiDCOM superintendent has been making.

By the year 2100, Nigeria is projected to be more populous than China, the current second-biggest economy in the world. The most populated black nation on earth by the end of this century is expected to become the second-largest country in the world also, rivalling the population of India.

President Bola Tinubu, according to Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa has brought in reforms that everybody should support. The president by May ending would have clocked exactly two years in office and he has been seen to be tackling insecurity, building infrastructure, and taking the hard decisions that will make Nigeria a better place.

All these milestones have better chances of scaling up with a 17million-strong diaspora population. What these demographics have meant for the economic prosperity of Nigeria in terms of remittances alone in the last five years has been over $90 billion.

This December, of course, you know, it is not less than ₦60 billion in what they spent coming to Nigeria. It could grow but it is just scratching the surface.

The NiDCOM chairperson while speaking to the national assembly committee expecting her to defend the budget allocation her department would be receiving had confirmed she had hosted several Joshua types, emphasising the need for more funding to bring about more exchanges and income.

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Meiza Nigeria