The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has emphasised the critical role of Migration Studies in strengthening diaspora engagement and enhancing migration governance in Nigeria.
Dr. Dabiri-Erewa made the remarks while receiving the Director, Coordinator, and Master’s students of the Centre for Migration Studies, University of Abuja, during a field trip to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
The leader of the delegation and Director of the Centre, Dr. Ifunanya Daniels, conveyed greetings from the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja and expressed appreciation to NiDCOM for hosting the students.
She explained that the visit was organised to provide the Master’s students with practical exposure and hands-on experience in migration governance, complementing their classroom training.
Dr. Daniels noted that the Centre for Migration Studies, established four years ago, was created to deepen research, policy engagement, and academic discourse on migration issues in Nigeria and beyond.
She encouraged NiDCOM staff to enrol in the programme, describing it as a strong capacity-building platform capable of enhancing professional competence.
The Coordinator of the Centre, Dr. Peter Adeyanju, reiterated the importance of the field trip in broadening the students’ understanding of migration policy and administration.
He disclosed that ten admission slots had been reserved for interested NiDCOM staff and commended those already enrolled in the programme, describing them as worthy ambassadors of the Commission.
Dabiri-Erewa described the Migration Studies programme as a valuable opportunity to build capacity and tap into a reservoir of academic knowledge that can strengthen institutional effectiveness.
Ready to Support
She reaffirmed NiDCOM’s readiness to support the Centre and stressed the need for sustained collaboration between academia and government agencies in addressing migration-related challenges.
The NiDCOM boss also invited staff members currently enrolled in the programme to share their experiences, underscoring the importance of continuous learning in improving service delivery and diaspora engagement.
The visit further reinforced the existing partnership between NiDCOM and the University of Abuja, demonstrating a shared commitment to advancing structured migration governance in Nigeria.