Dabiri-Erewa said this has become necessary to avoid the Sudan experience where many Nigerian students were not captured for evacuation at the outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese Army and the Paramilitary.
The official figure of Nigerians in Sudan before the outbreak of hostility was much less than the actual figure as many of the students did not identify with the Nigerian Embassy.
The NiDCOM boss spoke while addressing the press ahead of this month’s National Diaspora Day, with the theme: “Consolidating the Diaspora engagement on national development.”
NiDOCM boss who stressed the importance of data said, “We all know that the data of diaspora is about 10 million Nigerians in Diaspora
“One of the things I will like us to work on is the issue of data. We have set up a portal for data capturing. It’s growing gradually and we want you to be more involved in getting Nigerians in the diaspora to let us know where they are.
“Because at the end of the day, we lose nothing. It is when there is a crisis that we know that this data is important.
“And for parents in particular, let your children, going to school in particular go on that data portal, tell us where they are and what they are doing.
“We know what happened in Sudan when there was war. When we said they were three million, people said she doesn’t know what she is talking about. They were even much more than that in Sudan. So let’s keep stressing the issue of data.”
The 2023 National Diaspora Day celebration is an annual event in Nigeria to celebrate and recognise the contributions of Nigerians in the diaspora towards national development. The celebration which is scheduled for 25th and 26th July is the 17th edition.
She said no fewer than 10,000 Diasporans are expected to participate virtually while arrangements have been made for not more than 500 physical participants.
The 2023 Diaspora National Day celebration, she said would include a Diaspora merit award while the main programme includes a presidential address, celebrity interview, panel discussions and many other activities.