The Mayor of Houston, John Whitmire, has called for the establishment of direct flights between Nigeria and Houston, as well as the opening of a Nigerian Consulate in the U.S. city, to boost bilateral ties and better serve the growing Nigerian community in Texas.
This formed the crux of discussions during a diplomatic meeting held in Houston between Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), and Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum, who represented Mayor Whitmire.
With Houston recognized as home to one of the largest Nigerian populations in the United States, the Mayor emphasized that both initiatives would promote stronger engagement in areas such as consular services, trade, and diaspora relations.
“These measures will not only strengthen Nigeria–U.S. relations but also enhance service delivery and opportunities for Nigerians living in Houston,” he said.
In her response, Hon. Dabiri-Erewa noted that the Nigerian government is giving due attention to the request. She stated that the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Aviation were already reviewing the proposals for implementation.
Both parties described the engagement as “productive and forward-looking,” reaffirming a mutual commitment to deepening diplomatic and economic cooperation between Nigeria and the U.S.
Also present at the meeting were Ambassador Chigozie Obi, former Nigerian Ambassador to Liberia; Mr. Kunle “Kay” Elegbede, International Community Relations Manager for Mayor Whitmire; Toni Jenkins, Consular Relations Manager; Isabella Benavides, International Affairs Liaison; and Yorke Sydney, an intern at the Mayor’s office. The young intern expressed admiration for Hon. Dabiri-Erewa’s career journey from journalism to politics and described the meeting as inspirings
