The President of the Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA), Smart Nwobi, has urged the Federal Government to take decisive steps towards enabling Nigerians in the diaspora to participate in elections.
Speaking in London during a summit convened by the National Association of Nigerian Students in Diaspora (NANS-D), Nwobi lamented that despite the millions of Nigerians living overseas who significantly support the nation’s economy through remittances, they remain sidelined from the country’s electoral process.
According to him, diaspora remittances continue to sustain families across the country, with a World Bank report indicating that Nigerians abroad sent home over 20.1 billion dollars in 2023.
Nwobi stressed that Nigerians living overseas not only contribute financially but also possess vital knowledge and skills across key sectors that could drive development back home.
“Democracy cannot be complete if millions of its citizens are locked out of participation simply because they live beyond the nation’s borders,” he declared.
He emphasized that extending voting rights to Nigerians outside the country would strengthen democratic values and inclusion.
On a different note, Nwobi condemned the recurring harassment of Nigerian migrants in South Africa, particularly by groups such as Operation Dudula. He urged Abuja to collaborate with Pretoria in addressing xenophobic attacks.
“South Africa and Nigeria must rise above the destructive politics of division. We cannot afford to watch Africans turn against each other when the rest of the world sees us as one,” he stated.
