Chukwu Obinna 
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government has announced plans to advance the Diaspora Voting Bill, paving the way for Nigerians living abroad to gain the constitutional right to vote in national elections.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, disclosed this on Monday during the Nigerian Stakeholders Engagement on Diaspora Governance, which also featured the launch of the Nigerians in Diaspora Response (NiDRes) App and website.
According to a statement by spokesperson for the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Abbas reaffirmed the government’s commitment to inclusive democracy.
“The Federal Government is advancing the Diaspora Voting Bill to ensure that every Nigerian, regardless of location, can participate in our nation’s democratic process,” Abbas said through his representative, Patrick Umoh.
He added that the 10th House of Representatives prioritises diaspora engagement in line with its legislative goals of inclusion, transparency, and reform.
Chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora, Tochukwu Okere, said the newly launched NiSEDiG 2025 initiative aims to create a unified policy framework linking legislation, institutions, and technology for better diaspora governance.
In her address, NiDCOM Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa hailed progress in diaspora engagement across health, education, agriculture, ICT, and volunteerism, noting that remittances remain Nigeria’s largest foreign exchange source — totalling US$23.81 billion in 2019, or six per cent of GDP.
She stressed that the new initiatives will consolidate diaspora participation to accelerate national development.
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Otamere Gladness 
Oluwafunbi Bello 