The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has disclosed that her office has received numerous appeals from foreign nationals seeking to obtain Nigerian passports.
Dabiri-Erewa made this known during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, October 21, noting that the number of requests had become significant, with some applicants asking her office to appeal directly to the President on their behalf.
According to her, many of the applicants have developed a strong interest in Nigeria, while others are considering investing in the country or establishing closer ties with it.
“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.
To further illustrate the growing interest, Dabiri-Erewa recounted the experience of a woman who told her team during a recorded interaction that, after visiting Nigeria, she no longer wanted to return to her country of residence.
She said the experience reflected the growing interest among some foreign nationals in obtaining Nigerian citizenship and building stronger connections with the country.
