Tinubu fixing Nigeria’s structural problems, not managing failures — Dabiri-Erewa

The Director of the PBAT/APC 2027 Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Directorate of Diaspora Mobilisation, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has said President Bola Tinubu is determined to fix Nigeria’s structural problems rather than manage the country’s failures, urging Nigerians in the diaspora to help communicate the administration’s reforms ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Dabiri-Erewa stated this at a press briefing in Abuja, where she outlined plans to mobilise Nigerians abroad to support Tinubu’s re-election bid through digital advocacy, diaspora chapter mobilisation, fundraising, voter education, and efforts to counter misinformation.

She said Nigerians in the diaspora are important stakeholders in the country’s development because of their remittances, investments, professional expertise, and influence in their host communities.

“Nigerians abroad are not outsiders. They are stakeholders. They are our doctors, nurses, engineers, students, traders, innovators and community leaders, who send over $20 billion annually back home in remittances,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa said the directorate will activate APC diaspora chapters across several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Australia, Turkey, India, and Kazakhstan.

She added that the mobilisation drive will also accommodate Nigerians abroad who are not members of the APC but are willing to participate in the campaign.

The directorate’s digital advocacy initiative, tagged “Operation Tell Your Story,” will provide Nigerians in the diaspora with short videos, infographics, and other communication materials highlighting the administration’s policies and achievements.

According to her, the campaign will focus on foreign exchange reforms, foreign reserves, support for small businesses, housing programmes, and opportunities for students.

She acknowledged the hardship associated with the removal of the fuel subsidy, but defended the decision as necessary to address structural weaknesses in the economy.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has decided not to manage our feelings, but to fix the system. And it takes a bold leader to do that,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa noted that Nigerians abroad have experienced the challenges associated with the previous foreign exchange system and can help explain the rationale behind the administration’s reforms to their families and communities at home.

She said the directorate will also encourage transparent and structured diaspora fundraising to support campaign activities, voter education materials, town hall meetings, and grassroots mobilisation.

Another component of the strategy, she said, is voter registration awareness and homecoming mobilisation, with Nigerians abroad encouraged to remind eligible relatives and community members to register, collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and participate in elections.

On countering misinformation, Dabiri-Erewa said the directorate will establish a rapid-response mechanism to provide credible information and fact-check misleading claims about Nigeria and the Tinubu administration.

“Our directorate will serve as a rapid-response hub in case of misinformation about Nigeria and the administration. We will provide credible data, fact-check and positive narratives about Nigeria’s investment climate, stabilisation of the economy and the future under President Tinubu,” she said.

She urged Nigerians in the diaspora to use their influence to promote constructive engagement between the government and citizens, adding that the directorate will work with diaspora organisations, traditional institutions, and community leaders.

Dabiri-Erewa also called on the National Assembly to consider amending the Constitution to allow Nigerians living abroad to vote in Nigerian elections.

She acknowledged that diaspora voting remains a subject of debate, but expressed hope that lawmakers will address the issue in the future.

On remittances and investment, she said Nigerians abroad have continued to support their families and invest in the country, attributing this partly to confidence in the administration’s economic reforms.

She identified the unification of the foreign exchange market and the removal of the fuel subsidy as difficult decisions that were necessary to reform the economy.

She, however, urged Nigerians to monitor how state and local governments deploy increased revenues following the removal of the subsidy.

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Dabiri-Erewa further disclosed that the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has established a data portal to register Nigerians living abroad, adding that the estimated diaspora population stands at more than 17 million.

Other members of the directorate who spoke at the briefing acknowledged the hardship associated with the economic reforms but expressed support for the administration’s policies, arguing that the intended benefits will take time to materialise.

They also highlighted opportunities for Nigerians abroad to contribute to national development through investments, skills transfer, business partnerships, and collaboration with government institutions.

Dabiri-Erewa urged the media to partner with the directorate in communicating its activities, saying the campaign will focus on continuity, national development, and the administration’s stated goal of moving Nigeria from reforms to prosperity.