OP-ED BY HON. KENNETH CHIBUOGWU GBANDI
In my long years of public service and sustained engagement with Nigerians across continents, serving as one of the longest continuous Diaspora leaders, four years at the national level and four at continental and global levels, one recurring sentiment continues to surface: that Diaspora socio-economic engagement with Nigeria is a waste of time and resources. I firmly disagree, not only in words but through consistent action. Yet, I also understand the roots of this skepticism. It stems from repeated disappointments and unfulfilled promises: stalled Diaspora voting rights, absence of meaningful political representation, unfulfilled Diaspora bond initiatives, failure to constitute the NIDCOM Board, and the declining state of our global consular services and civil liberties.
The contradiction is striking: Nigerians abroad are welcomed as financiers of the state, yet our political participation is often dismissed as interference. The rejection of a petition from the Association of Tiv People in the U.S. by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris, and the dismissive response that followed, illustrates this mindset: the Diaspora matters for revenue but not for governance.
Nigeria’s new tax law changes the equation. As Benedict Aimionowane Esq., a Nigerian-German lawyer and long-time Diaspora advocate, observed, “For Nigerians in the diaspora, taxation is no longer a ‘home-based’ issue. Nigeria’s new tax law signals a clear intention by government to widen the tax net beyond traditional borders.”
For decades, Diaspora engagement has been framed as voluntary remittances sent out of patriotism, personal investments motivated by nostalgia, and business missions driven by goodwill rather than structured policy. Governments have benefited enormously: according to PwC Nigeria, Nigerians abroad sent approximately $93.4 billion in remittances between 2016 and 2019, exceeding oil revenues in some years. Yet political and institutional reciprocity has been minimal. That era is ending. Fiscal responsibility now demands reciprocal recognition of Diaspora rights.
Practically, the new tax regime means Nigerians abroad with economic ties to Nigeria through investments, digital services, property, or business are drawn into the formal fiscal system. Compliance will require documentation, clear regulations, and efficient institutions. Without Diaspora-sensitive policies, this expansion risks exclusion rather than inclusion. Taxation without representation has never produced stability; Nigeria cannot repeat that mistake.
This is both a challenge and an opportunity. Diaspora contributions are no longer “personal” or “unstructured.” If the state demands compliance, structured socio-economic and political participation is non-negotiable. The energy exerted to expand the tax net must match efforts to institutionalize Diaspora engagement through voting rights, credible representation, transparent Diaspora funds, accountable consular services, and formal policy platforms.
As Aimionowane further warns, “For the diaspora, the message is clear: engagement is necessary, vigilance is essential, and legal awareness is no longer optional.” Good governance is no longer the exclusive responsibility of politicians in Nigeria; it is a collective enterprise. Disengagement empowers a system that excludes us politically; strategic engagement ensures that citizenship abroad is not a lesser form of citizenship.
Nigeria’s new tax law has, perhaps unintentionally, created the clearest leverage the Diaspora has had in decades. Nigerians abroad from 2026 are not just remittance senders only, but also taxable citizens. This must translate into rights, voice, and influence. Diaspora engagement is no distraction, nor sentimental exercise, it is an essential pillar of national development and democratic consolidation.
Hon. Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi is a Nigerian political leader, former senatorial candidate, and long-standing Diaspora diplomat known for championing transparent governance, democratic reforms, and citizen participation. He has served at national, continental, and global Diaspora leadership levels, consistently advocating for structured Diaspora engagement, policy inclusion, and institutional accountability across Nigeria.
