Diaspora Diplomacy and Nigeria’s Soft Power Strategy in the Twenty-First Century

This study examines the concept of diaspora diplomacy and its application to Nigeria's soft power strategy in the twenty-first century, analysing how the Nigerian government has sought to leverage the cultural, economic, and intellectual resources of the Nigerian diaspora as instruments of international influence. The global Nigerian diaspora, estimated at over 17 million persons across North America, Europe, and other African countries, represents one of Nigeria's most underutilised diplomatic assets. Using a professional policy analysis and interview design, the study reviews diaspora engagement policy documents from the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs strategic frameworks, and secondary literature on diaspora diplomacy published between 2020 and 2024. The Soft Power Theory by Nye and the Diaspora Diplomacy Framework provide the analytical lenses. Findings reveal that while individual diaspora Nigerians have achieved significant prominence in academic, business, cultural, and political circles that generate spontaneous soft power for Nigeria, the government's institutional diaspora engagement mechanisms remain fragmented, under-resourced, and poorly coordinated across ministries. The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission lacks the diplomatic authority and financial resources to systematically channel diaspora influence into structured foreign policy outcomes. Recommendations include the elevation of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to a fully funded agency with diplomatic coordination authority. Keywords: diaspora diplomacy, soft power, Nigerian diaspora, foreign policy, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.