The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has rejected claims that it is seeking to sideline or erase the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), insisting that facts must be separated from sentiments in the ongoing debate over the organisation’s leadership and structure.
NiDCOM made its position known in a rejoinder signed by its Director, Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, in response to a statement issued by Collins Nweke following the Commission’s September 29, 2026 press release.
The Commission said NIDO was itself a product of the advocacy and efforts of credible diaspora leaders, noting that Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, while serving as a member of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2015, worked with several NIDO leaders, including Dr. Sule Yakubu Bassi, Lola Mabogunje, Prof. Manny Aniebulam and the late Ambassador Okuobi, towards the passage of the NiDCOM Bill.
NiDCOM said it recognised and respected the history of NIDO but maintained that addressing the organisation’s current challenges required an honest assessment of its condition.
According to the Commission, its position is consistent with Nweke’s assertion that institutions that do not function effectively should be reformed rather than abandoned.
“To fix an institution, you must first be honest about its current state,” NiDCOM stated, adding that it had, over the past six years, monitored NIDO elections, mediated disputes, provided platforms for its activities and repeatedly appealed for unity and reform.
The Commission questioned what steps NIDO had taken to address its internal challenges, stressing that successful diaspora organisations required transparency, functioning constitutions and credible leadership recruitment processes.
On the controversy surrounding the purported “NIDO Worldwide” structure, NiDCOM said it had requested three documents from individuals presenting themselves as leaders of the body: registration documents from the Corporate Affairs Commission or equivalent authority, the constitution establishing the office of Chairman of NIDO Worldwide, and a certified report of a global election that produced the leadership.
The Commission said none of the requested documents had been provided to it, alleging instead that what exists are factional structures across some continents and countries.
NiDCOM also cited Canada as an example of how diaspora associations can work together despite differences, saying the country has more than 69 Nigerian diaspora organisations coordinating their activities.
The Commission maintained that it would recognise NIDO country chapters that are duly registered in their host countries, active and verifiable by Nigerian diplomatic missions, while declining to recognise individuals or groups that unilaterally declare themselves as “NIDO Worldwide” without what it described as a transparent, inclusive and verifiable election involving all chapters.
It further urged the Federal Government, ministries, departments and agencies, as well as Nigerian missions abroad, to verify claims concerning NIDO Worldwide leadership through NiDCOM.
On the composition of the NiDCOM Governing Board, the Commission said the constitution of the board remained the prerogative of the President and was unrelated to the internal crisis within NIDO.
NiDCOM also called for the reorganisation of NIDO from the bottom up, beginning with functional country chapters, followed by continental structures and ultimately a genuinely elected global body under an independent electoral committee.
The Commission cited the recently concluded Nigeria in Diaspora Economic Conference (NIDEC) 2026 in Toronto as an example of the benefits of an inclusive approach to diaspora engagement, saying the event succeeded through collaboration with diaspora associations and leaders in Canada.
NiDCOM reaffirmed that its mandate was to engage all Nigerians in the Diaspora, regardless of whether they belong to NIDO, NAPAC, ANPA, MANSAG, NNC or other organisations, or have no organisational affiliation.
“Our allegiance is to the 20 million Nigerians abroad, not to acronyms or titles,” the Commission said.
NiDCOM urged NIDO leaders and elders to return to dialogue and work towards resolving the organisation’s longstanding internal divisions, while warning against dragging the non-political organisation into partisan politics ahead of the general elections.
