Foreigners Are Now Seeking Nigerian Passports, Abike Dabiri-Erewa Says

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has said her office has received numerous requests from foreign nationals seeking assistance to obtain Nigerian passports.

Dabiri-Erewa made the disclosure on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, during a press briefing in Abuja, where she outlined plans to mobilise Nigerians living abroad in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in 2027.

According to her, some foreigners have approached her office, asking her to appeal to the President to grant them Nigerian passports.

“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 interest some foreign nationals have developed in Nigeria, including a desire to invest in the country and establish closer ties. She also cited a woman who reportedly told her team during a recorded interview that she had visited Nigeria and did not want to return to her previous country of residence.

However, Dabiri-Erewa did not disclose the number of foreigners who had made such requests or identify their nationalities.
Her remarks came days after reports that Nigeria ranked 181st out of 196 countries in the IziVisa Passport Ranking Index. The index assesses travel access through visa-free entry, visas on arrival and electronic visas. A separate October 2026 edition of the Henley Passport Index placed Nigeria 92nd among 199 passports, illustrating the differences in methodology between the two rankings.

Dabiri-Erewa also highlighted the economic contributions of Nigerians living abroad, saying they remit more than $20 billion annually. She called for stronger collaboration between Nigerians at home and abroad, describing the relationship as mutually beneficial.

She further urged the National Assembly to amend existing laws to allow Nigerians in the diaspora to vote in national elections from their countries of residence.