The President of Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA), Smart Nwobi, has called on the federal government to initiate steps to facilitate diaspora voting.
Nwobi made the call in London at a summit organised by the National Association of Nigerian Students in Diaspora (NANS-D).
He said that in spite of millions of Nigerians abroad whose remittances remain a lifeline to the nation’s economy, many continue to be excluded from electoral participation.
Nwobi, according to a press release made available to newsmen in Abuja, said remittances had been stabilising households.
He cited a World Bank report that put diaspora remittances to Nigeria in 2023 at over 20.1 billion dollars.
Nwobi said that beyond financial contributions, Nigerians abroad hold expertise in critical sectors that could be harnessed for national development.
” Democracy cannot be complete if millions of its citizens are locked out of participation simply because they live beyond the nation’s borders,” Nwobi said.
He added that granting voting rights to Nigerians outside the country would help deepen democracy in the country.
Nwobi also decried the persistent harassment of Nigerian migrants in South Africa by groups such as Operation Dudula.
He called on the Nigerian government to work with its South African counterpart to tackle the scourge of xenophobia.
” South Africa and Nigeria must rise above the destructive politics of division.
“ We can not afford to watch Africans turn against each other when the rest of the world sees us as one,” he said.
