The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has reiterated the importance of Nigerians living abroad to register on the NiDCOM portal, insisting that it would ensure that in times of troubles and when there is need for their evacuation, they are properly taken care of.
Dabiri-Erewa said registration on the portal had become necessary to avoid the Sudan experience where lots of Nigerian students were not captured for evacuation at the outbreak of fighting in the North-eastern African country.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of this year’s National Diaspora Day, with the theme: “Consolidating the Diaspora Engagement on National Development,” Dabiri-Erewa noted that the official figure of Nigerians in Sudan before the outbreak of hostility was much lesser than the actual figure as many of the students did not identify with the Nigeria Embassy.
The NiDOCM boss, while stressing the importance of data, said: “We all know that the data of diaspora is about 10 million Nigerians in Diaspora.
“One of the things I would like us to work on is the issue of data. We have set up a portal for data capturing. It’s growing gradually and we want you to be more involved in getting Nigerians in diaspora to let us know where they are.
“Because at the end of the day, we lose nothing. It is when there is a crisis that we know that this data is important.
“And for parents in particular, let your children, going to school in particular, go on that data portal, tell us where they are and what they are doing.
“We know what happened in Sudan when there was war. When we said they were three million, people said she doesn’t know what she is talking about. They were even much more than that in Sudan. So, let’s keep stressing the issue of data.”
The 2023 National Diaspora Day celebration is an annual event in Nigeria to celebrate and recognise the contributions of Nigerians in the Diasporal towards narional development.
The celebration which is scheduled for 25th and 26th July is the 17th edition.
The NIDCOM boss disclosed that no fewer than 10,000 Diasporans were expected to participate virtually while arrangement had been made for not more than 500 physical participants.
The 2023 Diaspora National Day celebration, she disclosed, would include a Diaspora merit award, while the main programme includes the presidential address, celebrity interview, panel discussions, and many other activities.
She said the representatives of Nigerians Diaspora Community from Europe are already on the ground, noting that they were to present medical equipment to some hospitals and also some orphanage homes.
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