Diaspora Engagement: IOM commends NIDCOM as Aftica’s trailblazer

For the African continent to move to become a driving force on the global stage, it is important to tap into the enormous resources of its Diasporas, both within and outside the continent, and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission is at the forefront in this regard.

Mr Tunde Omoyeni, Regional Project Coordinator, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) stated this when he led the Namibian delegation on Study Tour of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM) in Abuja.

Mr Omoyeni added that it would go a long way if, engagement with Africans in the Diaspora could be handled at continental, regional and state levels, thus impacting development at the grassroots.

He pointed out the project 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.

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Mr David Ligonda, Deputy Director: Labour Market Information: Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation, Namibia, applauded Hon. (Dr) Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the NIDCOM team for being pathfinders in Africa’s quest to engage her Diasporas for meaningful turnaround of Africa’s development with the establishment of Africa’s first agency for Diaspora affairs by Nigeria.

Mr Ligonda agreed that migration was a fundamental human right and the Diaspora was a key element to development in any country, their welfare was equally critical, adding that better strategies for managed migration be developed.

Hon. (Dr) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) commended IOM and Namibian delegates for choosing NiDCOM for a Study Tour, emphasising that Namibia was the second Country after Ethiopia to undertake a study tour of NIDCOM within two months’ interval.

The NiDCOM boss emphasised that Africa needed 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.”

Dr Dabiri-Erewa stated further the need for each country to recognise its respective Diaspora, through an effective and productive engagement with its Diaspora.

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 much more, which have actualised positive results.

The NiDCOM CEO said that as part of the move to focus more on development in Africa, the Commission planned to have a virtual programme that would engage with the Nigerian Diasporas resident in African Countries especially the upcoming African Diaspora Summit middle of the year to brainstorm with other Africans in the Diaspora to boost growth on the Continent.