Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has called on Africans living abroad to embrace their role as a vital bridge between the continent and the rest of the world by leveraging their expertise, investments and global influence to accelerate Africa’s development.
Speaking as a special guest at the 2026 Black Engineering Week (BEW) in San Jose, California, themed “Africans in Diaspora as Bridge Builders,” Dabiri-Erewa challenged African professionals in the diaspora to channel their knowledge, resources and networks into innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable development across Africa.
Rejecting the notion of “brain drain,” she described the African diaspora as a source of “brain gain” and “brain circulation,” noting that Africans abroad are contributing significantly to global technological advancement while creating opportunities for growth on the continent.
“You live in two worlds and refuse to choose. You connect them. That is engineering at its highest level,” she told participants, which included engineers, founders, investors and technology leaders from across the globe.
Dabiri-Erewa identified talent, capital and credibility as the three key strengths of the African diaspora. She disclosed that NiDCOM is collaborating with state governments and diaspora partners to verify Nigerian talent, promote remote work opportunities and facilitate global recruitment of skilled Nigerian professionals.
She also highlighted the enormous economic potential of diaspora remittances, stressing that funds sent home by Nigerians abroad could become a major driver of industrialisation, entrepreneurship, climate technology and venture capital if strategically invested in productive sectors.
According to her, Nigerians and other Africans occupying leadership positions in global technology companies continue to enhance Africa’s global reputation while inspiring a new generation of innovators on the continent.
The NiDCOM boss urged diaspora professionals to deliberately mentor young talents, create jobs and invest in startups, while calling on African governments to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks and create policies that encourage diaspora participation in national development.
She further advocated stronger partnerships between Silicon Valley institutions and African universities through expanded internship programmes, fellowships, research collaborations and innovation initiatives aimed at empowering Africa’s growing youthful population.
Dabiri-Erewa noted that Africa is well-positioned to produce not only the world’s next billion digital users but also the engineers and innovators who will shape future technologies.
The conference featured a Founders Showcase sponsored by Adobe in partnership with San Jose State University and the Black Engineers Network, providing a platform for startup pitches, panel discussions and networking among Black engineers, investors and innovators.
President of the Black Engineers Association, Folarin Erogbogbo, described the event as a platform for accelerating Black-led innovation through founder demonstrations and startup competitions.
On the sidelines of the conference, Dabiri-Erewa also held talks with the Supervisor of Santa Clara County, who expressed interest in establishing partnerships with Nigerian cities, particularly in healthcare, to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between both regions.
