The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has announced that approximately 60,000 Nigerians living overseas have enrolled on its Diaspora Data Mapping Portal, a digital platform aimed at compiling vital demographic and socio-economic information about citizens abroad.
Launched on June 29, 2021, the portal forms a key part of NiDCOM’s broader efforts to involve Nigerians in the diaspora in the country’s development and policy planning.
So far, Nigerians from more than 30 countries have joined the initiative.
According to data obtained on Monday from NiDCOM’s Technology, Transfer, Innovation and Investment Department, a large portion of those registered are professionals working in the healthcare sector.
Nurses made up the highest proportion of registrants at 29.97%, followed by pharmacists at 14%, and medical doctors at 12.03%.
The education sector also featured prominently, accounting for 12% of participants, while students represented 11%.
Engineering professionals comprised 8% of the total, and civil servants contributed 7%. Other sectors such as leadership development and associate roles each represented 1% of the registered diaspora.
In addition, smaller percentages were recorded in industries like construction engineering, aviation, international NGOs, and medical physiology, each also accounting for 1%.
Geographical data from the portal highlights strong cultural and economic connections between Nigeria and several host countries.
Cameroon had the highest number of registered Nigerians, making up 6.693% of the total. It was closely followed by Niger (6.635%) and Sudan (6.070%).
Ghana contributed nearly 5% to the total registration, while the United Kingdom and the United States followed with 4.83% and 4.58% respectively. Other notable countries include Saudi Arabia (4.58%), Canada (3.87%), Egypt (3.19%), Germany and France (2.94% each), India (2.90%), and Italy (2.61%).
China, South Africa, Benin, and the United Arab Emirates also featured, along with Kenya, Senegal, Libya, Brazil, Congo, Ethiopia, Chad, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Qatar, the Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, and Turkey—all contributing between 0.83% and 2.51%.
An additional 19.13% of registrants were categorized under “others,” reflecting the widespread presence of Nigerians across various parts of the globe.
Leave a Reply