The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission NiDCOM has been commended for its Diaspora engagement and being at the forefront for the African continent to move and tap into the enormous resources of its diaspora both within and outside the continent.
The Regional Project Coordinator, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Tunde Omoyeni, made the commendation when he led the Namibian delegation on study tour of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in Abuja.
Omoyeni said that it would go a long way if engagement with Africans in the Diaspora could be handled at continental, regional and state levels to impact developments at the grassroots.
He pointed out that the projects such as Southern Africa Diaspora Investment Community, SADIC, which is centred on improving socio-economic and other forms of development through engagement of Southern parts of Africa with its Diasporas.
In his remarks, David Ligonda, Deputy Director: Labour Market Information: Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation, Namibia, applauded Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the NiDCOM team for being pathfinders in Africa’s quest to engage her Diaspora for meaningful turnaround of Africa’s development with the establishment of Africa’s first agency for Diaspora affairs by Nigeria.
Ligonda agreed that migration is a fundamental human right and the Diaspora is a key element to development in any country, their welfare is equally critical, adding that better strategies for managing migration be developed.
Responding, Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa, commended IOM and Namibian delegates for choosing NiDCOM for a study tour emphasizing that Namibia becomes the second
country after Ethiopia, to undertake a study tour of NiDCOM within two months interval.
The NiDCOM boss emphasised that Africa needs to maximize greatly the full potential of its Diaspora, adding that to have a developed and innovative continent, the onus lies on all the African countries to converge together to find ways to improve the status quo.
She stressed the need for each country to recognise its respective Diaspora through an effective and productive engagement with them.
Using the Nigerian example, the Chairman of the Commission highlighted the ways Nigerians in the Diaspora have been engaged and managed, such as the Presidential Town Hall Meetings with the Diasporas, Webinar meetings, Adoption of a National Diaspora Policy, the Nigerian Diaspora Investment Summit, the proposed Nigerian Diaspora Investment Trust Fund, appointment of State Diaspora Focal Point Officers, SDFPOs, and many more, which have actualised positive results.
She explained that as part of the move to focus more on development in Africa, the Commission plans to have a virtual programme that will engage with the Nigerian Diaspora, resident in African countries, especially the upcoming African Diaspora Summit in the middle of the year to brainstorm with other Africans in the Diaspora to boost growth in the continent.
GIK/APA