Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has pushed back against sweeping generalisations that paint all Nigerians abroad in a negative light, saying that while some citizens do commit crimes, their actions should not stain the reputation of the wider diaspora community.

“Crime does not have federal character. If you commit a crime, you are a Nigerian. It doesn’t matter where you come from,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Sunday, Dabiri-Erewa emphasised the need for individual accountability and rejected the practice of ethnic profiling, especially in countries like Ghana where specific Nigerian communities have been unfairly targeted.

“Even when you say one ethnic tribe, we cannot say everybody from that tribe. However, there are excesses on the part of some of our people, but one bad apple should not judge the whole bunch,” she stated. “So in every country where that happens, discipline them. Let them pay the penalty. Let them face whatever consequences.”

Responding to recent tensions in Ghana, she clarified that NIDCOM had acted swiftly, contacting Nigerian residents there to urge calm after inflammatory remarks by a Ghanaian politician.

“The first thing was for me to call our people in Ghana… We told our brothers and sisters in Ghana, do not respond. By the time you are responding, you’re making the situation worse. And I’m glad that Nigerians stayed calm as we advised them,” she said.

She noted that Ghanaian authorities had already taken action against the individual who made the remarks. “The Inspector General of Police in Ghana had actually called the guy for questioning and interviewed him based on things he had even been doing in the past.”

Dabiri-Erewa also addressed accusations that one particular ethnic group, specifically the Igbo has been disproportionately blamed. “Even the Inspector General of Police of Ghana said, look, I don’t want to say one tribe. Let us know them.”

She stressed that the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana is working closely with Ghanaian authorities to identify and prosecute any individuals involved in criminal activity.

“The Nigerian High Commission… they even work with the Ghanaian authorities when these people are arrested to ensure that they are penalised for what they did. So again, do not generalize, even with one particular ethnic group, we cannot generalise.”

Turning to broader issues of trafficking and migration, Dabiri-Erewa warned that many irregular migrants are not as desperate as they appear, but rather victims of deception and often complicit.

“So you say desperation, but you’re paying about 1.5 million to go to that place… It’s a mindset. No matter everything you do, you can’t stop migration, legal or illegal, but you can reduce irregular migration through a lot of programs and activities… So really, I think it’s more of a mindset than what you call desperation.”

She gave a chilling example of how people are duped into modern slavery: “They paid somebody who promised them that ‘Don’t worry, see this house now, they’re going to build it. See that car, you’re going to buy it.’ So you pay him. When you get there, you realize that, ‘Oh my God, I’ve been sold into slavery.”

Despite these challenges, she praised the resilience and excellence of the Nigerian diaspora. “Honestly, we won’t end this program… There are too many 9success stories). Every week we’re celebrating somebody. We had a lot of Nigerians come home for Diaspora Day this year. And I say, you’d be proud to be a Nigerian.”

“I don’t think there’s any country in the world, even the almighty America, that has the quality and capacity of Nigerians anywhere in the world. And that is the truth.”

Programs like the Diaspora Merit Awards and the new Home and Abroad Housing Scheme, she said, are part of efforts to recognize positive contributions and offer safe investment channels for Nigerians abroad.

“They are building hospitals. They are doing medical missions. They are giving back. They are training, capacity building. We just launched the Home and Abroad Housing Scheme which Nigerians want to buy their own home so that you won’t be duped.”

She urged the media to shift the narrative by spotlighting more success stories. “The media are the ones that will, you know, give the perception that they want, but we as Nigerians, we need to tell ourselves that we are the best. Let’s celebrate us, and that is what we do at the Diaspora Commission.” (Sunday Tribune)