African diaspora bridge to global innovation, investment, says Dabiri-Erewa

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman/chief executive officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has called on Africans living abroad to embrace their role as the continent’s bridge to global opportunities, urging them to leverage their expertise, influence and investments to drive Africa’s technological and economic transformation.

Speaking at the Black Engineering Week 2026 in San Jose, Dabiri-Erewa challenged engineers, entrepreneurs, investors and technology leaders in the diaspora to deepen their engagement with Africa by supporting innovation, entrepreneurship and human capital development.

With the conference themed “Africans in Diaspora as Bridge Builders,” the NiDCOM boss dismissed the long-standing narrative of Africa’s “brain drain,” describing Africans abroad instead as agents of “brain gain” and “brain circulation.”

According to her, diaspora professionals are uniquely positioned to connect Africa with global innovation ecosystems while contributing significantly to technological advancement across the world.

“You live in two worlds and refuse to choose. You connect them. That is engineering at its highest level,” she told the audience.

Dabiri-Erewa identified talent, capital and credibility as the three major areas where Africans in the diaspora are already making substantial contributions.

She noted that although Black and African engineers remain underrepresented in Silicon Valley, they continue to play critical roles in developing emerging technologies that are shaping the future.

She disclosed that NiDCOM is collaborating with Nigerian state governments and diaspora organisations on programmes aimed at verifying Nigerian professionals, expanding remote work opportunities and making it easier for international companies to recruit skilled workers from Nigeria.

The NiDCOM chairman also highlighted the enormous economic potential of diaspora remittances, stressing that funds sent home by Nigerians abroad could become a major catalyst for industrialisation, entrepreneurship, climate technology and venture capital investment if channelled into productive sectors of the economy.

Dabiri-Erewa emphasised the growing influence of Nigerians and other Africans occupying leadership positions in global technology companies, saying their achievements continue to strengthen Africa’s international reputation and inspire young innovators across the continent.

She urged members of the diaspora to deliberately invest in Africa’s future by mentoring young professionals, creating employment opportunities and supporting emerging entrepreneurs.

At the same time, she challenged African governments to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks and create investor-friendly environments capable of attracting diaspora participation in national development.

Dabiri-Erewa further advocated stronger institutional partnerships between Silicon Valley and African universities through expanded internship programmes, fellowships, research collaborations and innovation initiatives.

According to her, such collaborations are essential to unlocking opportunities for Africa’s population of more than 1.4 billion people and preparing the continent to produce not only the world’s next generation of digital users but also the engineers who will develop future technologies.

She observed that global networks are increasingly driven by technology, innovation, capital and people, adding that Africa is well positioned to become a major contributor to the global digital economy.

The conference also featured a Founders Showcase sponsored by Adobe in partnership with San Jose State University and the Black Engineers Network.

The event brought together engineers, investors and innovators for panel discussions, startup pitches and conversations focused on the African diaspora.

Folarin Erogbogbo, President of the Black Engineers Association, described the gathering as a platform designed to accelerate Black-led innovation.

He said the programme culminated in a Founder Demo Showcase and Judging Competition, where selected founders presented their startups before a panel of judges and investors.

On the sidelines of the conference, Dabiri-Erewa also met with the Supervisor of Santa Clara County, who expressed the county’s willingness to explore partnerships with Nigerian cities, particularly in the healthcare sector, as part of efforts to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between both regions.

The engagement, according to NiDCOM, forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties between Nigeria and its diaspora community while positioning skilled Nigerians abroad as strategic partners in the country’s development agenda.