The Federal Executive Council has adopted a National Diaspora Policy for Nigeria.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, revealed this to Journalists, while briefing them on decisions reached at this week’s cabinet meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the policy was engineered by the Nigerian Diaspora Commission.
According to Onyeama: “This policy really is aimed at formalising and giving a structure to the relationship between the country and government and the Nigerians in the diaspora, of which, you know, there are 17 or more million Nigerians in the diaspora, and they constitute a very, very important part of the Nigerian community.
“This policy aims to promote national development through engagement, constructive engagement with the Nigerians in the diaspora.
“In fact, for them to be really an integral part of the march towards greater development, and utilising all these skills and all the resources that they have.”
The Foreign Affairs Minister said the policy would also help address the issue of voting by Nigerians in diaspora in the future as well as the utilisation of their skills in the health and other sectors.
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