Diaspora Voting Will Benefit All Nigerians – Agency D-G

Agency Report

Dr. Loretta Ogboro-Okor, Director-General of the Edo Diaspora Agency, has stressed that instituting diaspora voting in Nigeria would yield far-reaching benefits for all citizens, not just Nigerians abroad.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, Ogboro-Okor urged continued advocacy for the adoption of diaspora voting, asserting that it holds the potential to improve governance and national development.

“I want to tell us that diaspora voting is going to benefit everybody. Right now, some people think it will only benefit those in government, but that’s not true,” she said.“It’s a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches to pushing Nigeria forward.”

According to her, legislating diaspora voting will help ensure that capable and qualified individuals are elected into leadership, thereby strengthening democratic governance.

“We’ll be putting square pegs in square holes, and that will enhance governance in Nigeria,” she added.

Ogboro-Okor emphasized that enabling diaspora participation in elections would deepen their sense of responsibility and drive their engagement in national affairs. She noted that many Nigerians abroad have acquired advanced skills and experiences that can be redirected into national development.

“Imagine voting and not feeling left out, you’ll feel a responsibility to return and contribute your quota to national development,” she explained.

She added that the move would also help integrate second- and third-generation Nigerians in the diaspora who maintain strong national identities and a desire to contribute meaningfully to their homeland.

“They proudly identify as Nigerians, just like I proudly identify as Edo. We must harness their civic engagement at the national level.”

Ogboro-Okor revealed that approximately 17 million Nigerians reside in the diaspora, with a significant proportion originating from Edo State. She highlighted that Edo alone accounts for around 31% of the country’s total diaspora remittances.

Quoting World Bank data from 2017, she noted that $22 billion in remittances were sent to Nigeria that year, with $6 billion of that sum coming from Edo State.

This economic contribution, she emphasized, underscores the critical role the diaspora plays and the importance of including them in Nigeria’s democratic process.

NAN