Nigeria and Cabo Verde have taken steps to strengthen cooperation on diaspora engagement, migration management, and development initiatives, following a strategic study visit by a Cabo Verdean delegation to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in Abuja.
Receiving the delegation, the Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, underscored the critical role of structured diaspora engagement in driving national development, urged African countries to place greater emphasis on their citizens living abroad.
Represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Sule Yakubu Bassi, Dabiri-Erewa outlined NiDCOM’s mandate and Nigeria’s diaspora engagement framework, highlighting the National Diaspora Policy as the guiding document that provides direction for engagement, investment, and national participation.
She noted that Nigeria has institutionalised July 25 as National Diaspora Day and established the National Diaspora Merit Awards to recognise outstanding contributions by Nigerians in the Diaspora. She also identified the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS) as a major platform facilitating diaspora and foreign investments while creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
According to Dabiri-Erewa, the Diaspora Youth Summit has been instrumental in engaging young Nigerians abroad, helping them better understand the country and identify avenues for contributing to national development. She further emphasised collaboration with sister agencies such as the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), particularly on migration management and the fight against human trafficking.
The NiDCOM Chairman also stressed the importance of appointing State Diaspora Focal Point Officers (SDFPOs) across states to strengthen grassroots-level engagement, noting that every Nigerian in the Diaspora traces their roots to a specific state. She added that an active media presence remains vital for visibility, public awareness, and effective communication of diaspora-related initiatives.
On future plans, Dabiri-Erewa disclosed that NiDCOM is exploring scholarship and exchange programmes to enable young Nigerians to study through diaspora-based institutions. While acknowledging funding challenges, she stressed the need for innovative and non-traditional funding approaches to sustain diaspora initiatives.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Mr. Omaru Djalo Abreu, Project Manager at the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Cabo Verde, said his country has an estimated two million citizens living abroad, whose sustained engagement across socio-cultural, economic, and financial sectors has significantly contributed to national development.
He noted that Cabo Verde’s diaspora has played a vital role during national emergencies, including support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlighted similarities between both countries in diaspora data mapping systems, cultural exchange programmes, and heritage-based tourism initiatives.
Abreu also referenced Cabo Verde’s Diaspora Museum, while Nigeria’s Badagry Door of Return and the Slave Trade Museum in Badagry were cited as key historical and cultural sites connecting the Diaspora to their roots.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to continued collaboration and the exchange of best practices to strengthen diaspora engagement as a tool for inclusive and sustainable development.
The study visit comprised a joint delegation from Cabo Verde, including migrant management institutions and the National Observatory on Trafficking in Persons.
