Nigeria, Cabo Verde Strengthen Ties on Diaspora Engagement

Nigeria and Cabo Verde have taken steps to strengthen bilateral cooperation on diaspora engagement following a strategic study visit by a Cabo Verdean delegation to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in Abuja.

Speaking during the engagement, NiDCOM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, emphasised that structured diaspora engagement remains a critical driver of national development, urging African countries to prioritise their citizens living abroad.

Represented by the Commission’s Secretary, Dr. Sule Yakubu Bassi, she outlined NiDCOM’s mandate and Nigeria’s diaspora framework, anchored on the National Diaspora Policy, which guides engagement, investment participation and national development initiatives.

Dabiri-Erewa highlighted key platforms such as the annual National Diaspora Day celebrated on July 25, the National Diaspora Merit Awards, and the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit, noting that they have strengthened ties with Nigerians abroad and boosted investment inflows.

She also pointed to youth-focused initiatives, including the Diaspora Youth Summit, designed to engage younger Nigerians in the diaspora and encourage their participation in national development, while fostering stronger cultural connections.

The NiDCOM Chairman stressed the importance of collaboration with agencies such as the Nigerian Immigration Service and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons to address migration management and human trafficking challenges.

On future plans, she disclosed that the Commission is exploring scholarship and exchange programmes through diaspora-based institutions, while acknowledging funding challenges and the need for innovative financing to sustain diaspora programmes.

Leading the Cabo Verdean delegation, Mr. Omaru Djalo Abreu of the International Center for Migration Policy Development said Cabo Verde’s large diaspora population has been instrumental in national development, adding that both countries agreed to sustain collaboration and exchange best practices to deepen diaspora engagement.