Nigerians in Diaspora have called for more collaborative efforts from all stakeholders towards bridging the gap in national development.
The Chairman Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Dr Abike Dabiri Erewa, made the call, at a press conference in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, ahead of the National Diaspora Day, which comes up on the 25th and 26th of July 2023.
She explained that Nigerians both at home and abroad possess enormous potentials which if harnessed will bring about national development.
Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Holds National Diaspora Day 2023.
Nigerians in Diaspora Commission is to hold its 5th National Diaspora Day as a commission to celebrate and recognize the contributions of Nigerians in the Diaspora to National Development.
Hon. Dr… pic.twitter.com/E29TWoPg7K
— Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) July 19, 2023
“Our diaspora community is a vast low-hanging fruit of untapped resources, and by harnessing their expertise, investments, and cultural influence, we can launch Nigeria towards greater heights. This quest is a joint effort for the Government, private and public sectors, the Diaspora and other strategic stakeholders in effective diaspora engagement to come on board to bridge the gap and build a stronger more prosperous Nigeria that benefits from the mutual strength and prowess of its sons and daughters, home and abroad,” she explained.
The NIDCOM Chairman noted that engagement in national development cannot be over-emphasized.
“Nigeria is blessed with a rich and diverse diaspora worldwide and these Nigerians in the diaspora possess the potential to be catalysts and contributors to our national development. Over 17 million Nigerians are performing feats, internationally in the field of education, medicine, health, sports, media and entertainment, leadership and politics, finance, science and ICT, Transportation, tourism, industry and agribusiness. Their skills, knowledge, network and experiences are indispensable assets which can be harnessed to bolster Nigeria’s progress and development.
“The Diaspora Merit Awards has been a long time coming, many Nigerians in the Diaspora have positively contributed both to Nigeria and their host countries, this is done to recognise and celebrate them, as well as encourage them to continue to contribute to the country’s national development. We must accept that the Diaspora characterises a powerful force for change- not because of the financial remittances, but because they pose a lot more than the figures remitted. They are the link to our past and present, and possibly our hope for a better future for Nigeria. Several Nigerians in the Diaspora are flying the Nigerian flag high and making the country proud in all fields of endeavour, however, there are few of us portraying the country poorly abroad, but we have many success stories coming from the Diaspora worth celebrating as well. So, there are more positive than negative narrations about Nigerians. it has become necessary to honour a select few to inspire them to continue to be good Ambassadors of the country wherever they go,” she said.
Also speaking the Vice Chairman of NIDOE, Mr Omusa Baba Onyoma, and the Chairperson of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation NIDO UK-South, Mrs Susan Waya, while commending the NIDCOM Chairman for all her support and unwavering efforts for the Diaspora, through the Commission’s platforms for Diaspora engagement, disclosed that their group will be on a week-long engagement as they propose courtesy visits to some agencies, and medical outreaches and participate in the Diaspora day celebrations.
National Diaspora Day is an annual event to celebrate the success stories of Nigerians in the Diaspora.
This year’s two-day event is a hybrid one with an expectation of thousands of participants, virtually and physically
The theme for this year is: “Consolidating Diaspora Engagement for National Development”, which focuses on galvanising the skills, network and experiences of the Diaspora as indispensable assets to bolster Nigeria’s growth.
