The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Americas (NiDOA) has reaffirmed its commitment to connecting talent, mobilising resources and contributing meaningfully to the growth of Nigeria and its host communities.

This is contained in a communique issued on Saturday by NiDOA’s general secretary, Toni Ogbanufe, following the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held from October 30 to 31 in Washington, D.C.

According to Ms Ogbanufe, the AGM, which was organised with the support of the Nigerian Embassy, marked NiDOA’s renewed commitment to fostering unity, transparency and national growth.

“The ​‌⁠​‍‍⁠⁠‍‍‌‍⁠‍​‍‍‌​future of NiDOA will be measured by the strength of its institutions, the unity of its members and the impact of its collective actions.

“Together, we reaffirm our commitment to connecting talent, mobilising resources, and contributing meaningfully to Nigeria and our host community’s growth.”

Ms Ogbanufe cited Sunday Okemini, Head of Consular Affairs at the embassy, as stressing the need for deeper collaboration among NiDOA members as a means of achieving their targets.

She also cited Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), as saying that although diaspora voting was not provided for in the amended Constitution ahead of the 2027 polls, this should not deter them.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa expressed the hope that the goal could be achieved in the future, urging members of the organisation to continue advocating for it.

She further disclosed that the AGM, which attracted NiDOA chapter leaders physically and virtually from across the Americas, examined governance, leadership, economic empowerment, diaspora engagement and institutional partnerships.

She identified the issues discussed as centring on fostering unity, organisational growth, constitutional review to promote transparency and accountability, as well as good governance.

Others included investment in the economic empowerment of diaspora members, particularly young Nigerians, the promotion of cultural identity, the well-being of compatriots and regional collaboration among Nigerian community members residing in the Americas.

According to her, the AGM emphasised the need to prioritise youth mentorship, leadership development, professional networking and community service.

“An annual Nigerian Day celebration in major U.S. cities was proposed for further consideration,” she said.

A major highlight of the AGM was the collective decision to follow up on the composition, leadership and terms of reference of the proposed governance and conflict resolution committees.

Also, a decision was taken to organise a structured constitutional and bylaw awareness campaign to sensitise a broader group of organisational leaders, improve future event registration and enhance participation and communication procedures, among other things.

The AGM featured the presentation of an award by the NiDOA Board of Trustees chairman to the ambassador of Nigeria to the U.S., who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Mission, Bukar Hamman. 

(NAN)