The Director-General of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has called for increased government funding and infrastructural support for diaspora affairs, emphasizing the need to establish a Diaspora Plaza to serve as a central hub for Nigerians abroad.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Hard Copy on Friday, Dabiri-Erewa disclosed that the commission had been operating on meager resources, with just N47 million capital and N11 million recurrent expenditure in 2023.

“In 2023, we worked with N47 million capital, N11 million recurrent. How we survived, I don’t know,” Dabiri-Erewa lamented. “In 2025, we have a better budget, thanks to the National Assembly, particularly the Senate Committee chaired then by Senator Victor, who really worked hard to ensure we got improved funding.”


The NIDCOM boss revealed that work had already commenced on the proposed Diaspora Plaza, which will serve as a resource center and relaxation hub for Nigerians living abroad.

“We want to have a Diaspora Plaza. We’ve even started building. We want a hub where the diaspora can come, relax, and get authentic information about what is going on in their country,” she explained.

The plaza is expected to become a one-stop center for networking, information sharing, and investment facilitation for millions of Nigerians living abroad who contribute significantly to the country’s economy through remittances.



While acknowledging the challenges faced by some Nigerians abroad, Dabiri-Erewa urged the media and citizens to focus more on success stories rather than negatives.

“You know the number of Nigerians we have in the UK in the political space that are doing very well. We don’t have to focus on one person,” she said, stressing that many Nigerians are excelling globally in politics, academia, and business.


The NIDCOM DG issued a stern warning against risky migration routes, particularly through Libya, which has been notorious for human trafficking and abuse of migrants.

“Just know where you’re going to. I mean, at this point in time, you’re still going to Libya? If anybody tells you to go somewhere through Libya, you should say no,” she cautioned.


Reaffirming NIDCOM’s commitment to safeguarding Nigerians overseas, Dabiri-Erewa clarified that the agency’s role extends beyond evacuation during crises.

“Somebody said to me, ‘Is NIDCOM only to be bringing people back?’ But it’s about people. There are so many you don’t hear about. Even in Japan, when one of our Nigerians had a problem, the Nigerian community got money together and helped,” she noted.


The call for increased funding aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s position that Nigerians in the diaspora remain critical to national development through their investments, remittances, and global influence. According to the World Bank, Nigeria received over $24 billion in diaspora remittances in 2024, making it one of the top remittance-receiving countries in Africa.

With the proposed Diaspora Plaza, NIDCOM hopes to further harness this potential by creating a structured platform that encourages more engagement, investment, and contribution from Nigerians abroad.