*Urges Africans in diaspora to follow suit
Legendary American-African Music icon, Jeffrey Daniel, has urged Africans in Diaspora to connect to their motherland by visiting regularly or relocating to the continent, just as he has done.

Daniel, of the Legendary Shalamar music band fame, gave this advice when he paid a courtesy call on the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in Abuja. He expressed gratitude for the warm reception and shared his motivation for relocating to and living permanently in Nigeria.

Daniel, a pioneer in street dance and R and B music and a founding member of the iconic soul-funk group, Shalamar, known for timeless hits such as “A Night to Remember” and “The Second Time Around, reflected on his experience at the fifth edition of the Badagry Door of Return Festival organised by NIDCOM.

He described the moment as one of joy, healing and reconnection. He noted that walking through the Door of Return stood in sharp contrast to the painful history of the Point of No Return, through which enslaved Africans were forcibly taken away, and symbolised a spiritual reconnection with his ancestry and a renewed sense of purpose.

The American dancer noted that Nigerians in the diaspora had continued to excel across several sectors, including technology, sports, science, music, and innovation, particularly in the United States of America and Europe.

He added that about 60 per cent of Nigerians in the diaspora are celebrated as top-performing students, a testament to the nation’s intellectual strength and resilience.

He urged Africans in diaspora all over the world to return home and contribute to rebuilding Africa, stressing that it was time to bring back the spirit of the ancestors and reconnect fully with the motherland, particularly Nigeria.

Welcoming him, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, described his return to Nigeria and Africa as symbolic and homecoming. She said that his return and decision to stay back in Nigeria as a resident is historic and deeply symbolic, noting that he is the first global celebrity of his stature to return home and remain in the country.

She stated that his presence aligns strongly with NiDCOMmandate of encouraging Africans in the diaspora, as well as friends of Nigeria, to reconnect, reinvest, and contribute meaningfully to national development.

According to her, Daniel’s journey transcends beyond entertainment and celebrity, as it speaks to identity, heritage, and the power of cultural reconnection.

The NIDCOM boss commended Daniel for his participation in the October 2025 Badagry Door of Return Festival, where he walked through the historic Door of Return.