Botswana Looks To Nidcom As Gold Standard For Diaspora Engagement
Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/ CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has canvassed for a strong and effective diaspora engagement which must be rooted in intentionality, communication, strategy and trust.
She stated this while receiving Mr Dikgang Phillip Makgalemele, a Botswana delegate on a study tour of the Commission in Abuja.
Dabiri-Erewa, represented by Dr Sule Yakubu Bassi, the Secretary to the Commission, expressed delight that more African states are beginning to recognise the value of their diaspora communities, noting that these diasporas are catalysts for a progressive continent and cannot be overlooked.
She asserted that such intentionality can produce a synergy between Africans on the continent and those in the diaspora, enabling them to proffer solutions that will revive the socio-economic fortunes of the continent and build the Africa of our collective vision.
The Chairman of the Commission noted that while it is necessary to create the right opportunities for diaspora engagement, she also urged him to challenge diaspora communities to return home and invest in their country.
The NiDCOM Boss expressed appreciation for the Botswana government’s interest in its diaspora, explaining that NiDCOM, as the official agency for diaspora relations and engagement in Nigeria, has taken pragmatic steps in its engagement and empowerment of the Nigerian diaspora, currently estimated at over 18 million people.
Some of these steps include, but are not limited to: the Nigerian Diaspora Investment Summit; the National Diaspora Day and National Diaspora Merit Awards; the Diaspora Housing Scheme; the Badagry Door of Return Festival; Diaspora Medical Outreaches; Presidential Diaspora Town Hall Meetings; the Diaspora Research Institute at the University of Ibadan; Newsletters and media outreaches; the State Diaspora Focal Point Officers (SDFPOs); the establishment of the NiDCOM Act; the formulation of the National Diaspora Policy; and partnerships with non-political and professional diaspora groups and government agencies that align with the Commission’s objectives, mandates and goals, amongst others.
She also extended an invitation to the Global Nigeria Investment Summit, scheduled to hold in Canada in August 2026.
Dabiri-Erewa reiterated that many Nigerians living abroad are enthusiastic about playing an active role in Nigerian affairs, particularly with regard to homeward investments.
In the same vein, the NiDCOM chief stressed the importance of rewriting Nigeria’s national narrative through its diaspora, in order to counteract negative reportage by the Western media.
However, she identified insufficient funding to actively and fully execute the Commission’s mandate, the unresolved matter of diaspora voting, and inadequate office space as some of the key challenges faced by the Commission.
Mr Makgalemele, Executive Chairperson of the Institute for Development Practitioners (I4DP), commended Nigeria’s forward-thinking approach to diaspora engagement for national development.
He praised the astute leadership of Dabiri-Erewa in bringing the Nigerian diaspora closer to home.
The Executive Chairperson stressed that this model was key to replicating in Botswana, in terms of diaspora relations and engagement.
Makgalemele, also a former Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture in Botswana, stated that in the long term, this initiative would lead the younger generation to develop a structured diaspora model for Africa.
He informed that Botswana plans to hold its first Trade and Investment Forum next year, with the aim of drawing Botswana’s diaspora from across the world to discuss the full scope of investment opportunities.
The study tour of NiDCOM by the Botswana delegation brings the total number of visiting countries to nine, following Ethiopia, Egypt, Tanzania, Namibia, Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Korea, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
