“People Are Asking Us To Beg The President For Nigerian Passports” — Dabiri-Erewa Says Foreigners’ Requests Are Increasing

She made this known on Wednesday at a press briefing in Abuja, where she presented plans to engage Nigerians living abroad ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in 2027.

Dabiri-Erewa said the volume of requests had become considerable, with some applicants asking her office to approach the President on their behalf.

“On my table, you see a lot of people telling us to beg the President to be able to give them Nigerian passports. Ask the Minister of Interior. It’s too much,” she said.

She attributed the requests to the growing interest some foreigners have developed in Nigeria, including those considering investments and stronger connections with the country.

To illustrate her point, she recalled a woman who told her team during a recorded interaction that she had visited Nigeria and did not want to return to her former country of residence.

The Diaspora Mobilisation Director also highlighted the role Nigerians living overseas play in supporting the country’s economy.

She said their contributions extend beyond financial remittances to include investments and professional expertise across healthcare, education, agriculture, and information and communications technology.

According to Dabiri-Erewa, Nigerians abroad remit more than $20 billion annually and include professionals, entrepreneurs, students and community leaders who remain connected to the country’s development.

Turning to the 2027 presidential election, Dabiri-Erewa said the campaign council planned to activate its overseas support base through a five-point mobilisation strategy.

The proposed programme includes strengthening APC chapters across five continents and introducing a digital outreach campaign called “Operation Tell Your Story.”

The council also intends to encourage diaspora fundraising through structured and transparent channels, raise awareness about voter registration, and counter misleading information concerning Nigeria and the Tinubu administration.

Although Nigerians abroad cannot currently cast ballots in Nigerian elections from their countries of residence under the existing legal framework, Dabiri-Erewa urged the National Assembly to consider legislative changes that would permit diaspora voting.

She said Nigerians overseas could still participate in political discussions by communicating with relatives, friends and communities back home.

Dabiri-Erewa also defended the Federal Government’s removal of the petrol subsidy and its foreign exchange policy, describing both measures as difficult decisions intended to address longstanding economic problems.

She called for stronger cooperation between Nigerians at home and those abroad, saying their relationship was important to national progress.

“Nigeria needs you, and you also need Nigeria. It’s a symbiotic relationship,” she said.