- Over 100,000 Nigerians Enrolled on Diaspora Data Mapping Portal – NIDCOM
- The Diaspora Data Mapping Portal was launched on June 29, 2021
- Available data show that Cameroon hosts the largest population of Nigerians abroad
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has registered more than 100,000 Nigerians on its Diaspora Data Mapping Portal as of November 2025, highlighting ongoing challenges in documenting the country’s estimated 17 million citizens living abroad.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that data obtained on Saturday from NIDCOM’s Technology, Transfer, Innovation and Investment Department showed that the figure represents only a fraction of Nigerians in the diaspora, largely due to limited resources constraining comprehensive data capture.
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The Diaspora Data Mapping Portal, launched on June 29, 2021, was created to gather demographic and socio-economic information on Nigerians living outside the country. The online platform operates in line with the commission’s mandate and the National Diaspora Policy 2021, providing insights into the distribution, skills and professional profiles of Nigerians abroad.
According to the commission, funding and logistical limitations have slowed efforts to expand the database, leaving a significant gap between the number of registered users and the actual size of Nigeria’s diaspora population.
Available data show that Cameroon hosts the largest population of Nigerians abroad, accounting for 6.699 per cent or about 1,139,504 people. Niger follows closely with 6.641 per cent (approximately 1,129,561), while Sudan ranks third with 6.076 per cent, representing about 1,033,464 Nigerians.
Other African countries with notable Nigerian populations include Ghana with 4.963 per cent (844,180), South Africa with 2.388 per cent (406,257), Benin with 2.045 per cent (347,872), Senegal with 1.546 per cent (263,021), Libya with 1.334 per cent (226,977) and Chad with 1.174 per cent (199,767).
Outside Africa, the United Kingdom hosts about 4.835 per cent of Nigerians abroad, estimated at 822,415, while the United States accounts for 4.589 per cent (780,581). Saudi Arabia follows closely with 4.582 per cent (779,429). Canada hosts 3.873 per cent (658,807), Egypt 3.198 per cent (543,915), Germany 2.950 per cent (501,778), France 2.941 per cent (500,347) and India 2.909 per cent (494,897).
Italy accounts for 2.614 per cent (444,635), China 2.516 per cent (427,902), Malaysia 1.128 per cent (191,861), Qatar 1.059 per cent (180,081), the Central African Republic 1.007 per cent (171,229) and Turkey 0.833 per cent (141,612). Other countries, including Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ivory Coast, the United Arab Emirates and Congo, each host between 1 per cent and 1.6 per cent of Nigerians abroad. Collectively classified as “Others,” these countries represent 18.956 per cent of the diaspora, estimated at about 3,224,441 people worldwide.
The report also revealed that healthcare professionals dominate the Nigerian diaspora workforce. Nurses make up 29.97 per cent of registered professionals, followed by pharmacists at 14.0 per cent and medical doctors at 12.03 per cent.
The education sector accounts for 12.0 per cent of registered Nigerians abroad, while students represent 11.0 per cent. Engineers make up 8.0 per cent, civil servants 7.0 per cent, and other professions including construction engineering, aviation, international non-governmental organisations and medical physiology account for smaller proportions.
NIDCOM said the data remains critical for shaping diaspora-focused policies, attracting investments and leveraging skills for national development, even as efforts continue to expand and improve the database.
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