The Nigerian Government says it is set for the annual National Diaspora Investment Summit.
Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa said this at a media briefing ahead of the 2020 National Diaspora Day, which is slated for the 25th of July, in Abuja Nigeria.
She said the diaspora forms an integral part of a nation whether host or homeland, but more importantly to the country of origin.
“This reason alone forms the basis to set aside a day to applaud our diasporas and dialogue issues affecting the diaspora. Nigeria cherishes and lauds the efforts of all her diasporas worldwide that a Commission was established to ‘engage and utilise the human, capital and material resources of this demography in the socio-economic, cultural and political development of Nigeria,”
She said the achievements made by the Diasporans in the last one year were commendable.
EVACUATION INTERVENTIONS
Following series of interventions to ameliorate attacks on black Africans in South Africa including Nigerians, the Commission received the first and second batches of stranded Nigerians back home in Lagos on September 11, 2019, and September 18, 2019.
A total of 501 returnees consisting of 187 and 314 Nigerians respectively.
“They received SIM Cards worth of N40,000 airtime plus 9GB of data valid for two months, as well as, a soft loan from the Bank of Industry to support those interested in small trade and businesses.
“A programme of re-integration has been put in place with the support of some NGOs and their respective states of origin which had been written by NiDCOM after the returnees had been profiled for necessary assistance.
“Currently, as COVID-19 is still on the rampage, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerian Missions around the world have evacuated and still evacuating stranded Nigerians anywhere in the world”. The NIDCOM Chairman said.
UPDATE OF EVACUATIONS SO FAR
US; 3 batches – 806
UK; 3 batches – 831
Saudi Arabia – 117
Cairo, Egypt – 372
France – 70
India; 3 batches – 540
UAE Dubai; 5 batches – 1,405
Turkey; 2 batches – 324
Sudan; 3 batches – 365
Uganda & Kenya – 172
Senegal – 17
Pakistan – 56
Egypt – 102
China – 268
Malaysia &Thailand – 247
Lebanon – 147
Canada – 51
South Africa – 324
Ghana – 205
Total: – 6,317
AFRICAN COUNTRIES
The Chairman pointed out that with the support of Air Peace Nigeria Ltd, there have been multiple evacuations from some African countries.
STATE DIASPORA FOCAL POINT OFFICERS’ MEETING
The Commission inaugurated the State Focal Point Officers’ Meeting In February 2020, with representatives from 27 states of the 36 states in Nigeria and the FCT, as well as the other International Bodies to dialogue and strategize on the way forward for diaspora engagements at the grassroots.
PREVIOUS SUMMIT EVENTS
In 2018 Nigeria realised $25 billion in diaspora remittances, as the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) predicted that Nigerian diaspora remittances will be at US$25.5 billion, US$29.8 billion and US$34.8 for 2019, 2021 and 2023 respectively.
Subsequently, the second edition held in 2019 had over 400 participants in attendance, from different walks of life, to discuss how diaspora remittances and resources can be used in leveraging the economy in the country.
“We all can attest to the fact that the diaspora is the strong cord that binds us all,” she noted.
DIASPORA ACCOLADES
According to the Chairman, some Nigerians in the Diaspora are rewriting the Nigerian story for the better.
“They are proving to the world that Nigerians are focused, determined, caring, kind, friendly, brave, intelligent, enterprising, creative and are passionate for all humanity”. The Chairman stated.
Prominent amongst them are:
Prof. Charles Egbu, first black person to be appointed Vice-Chancellor of a ranking University in the UK.
Dr Ikenna Nweke who returned a wallet with huge sums of money and a Credit Card to Japanese Police.
Mrs Olasunmbo Iginla-Aina, award recipient of a member of the British Empire.
Dr Olagunju Ogunbiyi a foremost Surgeon.
Anthony Joshua, World Boxing Heavyweight Champion.
Kamaru Usman UWC Defending Champion and
The late Toyin Salau
RESCUE/INTERVENTIONS
Mrs Dabiri-Erewa said the likes of Zainab Aliyu, Mr Ibrahim Ibrahim ( Saudi Arabia), Busari (Oman), Chinedu and Uchenna (Bosnia), John Adam’s Smart (Kenya), and a host of others are testimonies of efforts NiDCOM has made to save its citizens implicated with crimes or maltreated in their host countries.
DONATIONS
The Diaspora Commission Chairman noted that many organisations and well-meaning Nigerians have reached out to fight good causes.
“Through kind gestures for the Nigerian diaspora especially during this Pandemic with over 50 million Naira Donations and vice versa.
“As I had mentioned earlier, the initial SA returnees were given SIM Cards worth of N40,000 airtime plus 9GB of data valid for two months. In the same stance, an anonymous woman and two-time cancer survivor, donated her one-month salary, to the children of the South-African Nigerian returnees.
“In another case, a COVID-19 Palliative Fund is opened and still on during this COVID-19 Pandemic, for the cause”. The Chairman said.
Equally a donation of hand sanitizer worth N5million by Nigerian citizens in China to the Federal Government was received by the Commission.
Also received were food donations, plus, face masks done by the Nigerian in Diaspora Organisation of the Americas (NIDOA, NIDO Americas), cushion the plights of many Nigerians, who had no means of feeding and worse still, have probably lost their jobs because of the pandemic.
BADAGRY DOOR OF RETURN CEREMONY
NIDCOM in conjunction with some private sector and NGOs held the third in the series of Diaspora Door of Return in Badagry in Lagos from October 15 to 20, 2019 where the Diasporas made a pilgrimage to their motherland, reminiscing of the slaves’ trade of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The event afforded them a spiritual, moral, social, economic and cultural reconnection.
Zainab Sa’id
