JAPA: Dabiri-Erewa Urges Stakeholders to Strengthen Regular Migration Channels

Honorable Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has called on stakeholders attending the ongoing International Conference on Migration to prioritize and reinforce regular migration pathways as a strategic means to improve labor mobility.

Delivering the keynote address and contributing as a panelist at the Rabat Process Thematic Meeting held under Nigeria’s chairmanship and themed “Youth, Education and Innovation: Driving the Future of Migration.

Dabiri-Erewa emphasized the critical need for government efforts to focus on public sensitization and education. She urged that awareness campaigns should highlight legal migration opportunities to combat the rise in irregular migration and its associated risks.

She further underscored the significant role of the Nigerian diaspora in national development, noting that more than 20 million Nigerians living abroad constitute a powerful economic force. According to Dabiri-Erewa, Nigerians overseas remitted approximately $20 billion to Nigeria in 2024, representing about 5.7 percent of Nigeria’s GDP an amount eleven times greater than the country’s foreign direct investment (FDI) for the year.

Highlighting the importance of youth inclusion, she stressed that young people must be actively involved in policymaking and the implementation of migration-related initiatives. Dabiri-Erewa revealed that NiDCOM has launched dedicated programs targeting diaspora youth under its “home strings” category to harness their skills, knowledge, and expertise for national development

The Rabat Process is a multilateral Euro-African dialogue forum that facilitates cooperation between European and African countries on migration and development issues.