NIGERIANS IN DIASPORA AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
By Obiora Ani

 

Like other good citizens of the world, Nigerians in large numbers are scattered across the globe, contributing to the socio-economic and political development of both their host nations and fatherland. Only recently, three Nigerians in the United Kingdom won elections to represent their constituencies at local and national levels.

Statistics indicate that well over twenty million Nigerian professionals and non professionals are scattered all over the world, majority of them in Europe and the Americas.

In an effort to tap from the expertise and experience of Nigerian professionals broad for national development, the Nigerian government in 1999 began the process to engage Nigerians in the Diaspora effectively.

This led to the inauguration of the Nigeria in the Diaspora Organization, NIDO in Atlanta Georgia, U.S.A in September 2000 when the then Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, was on a state visit to the United States.
   
Since then, the Nigeria Diaspora Day has been observed on 20th June every year to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Nigerians living outside the country towards national development.

Today, there are more than twenty million Nigerians living abroad and registered under the NIDO umbrella with major strongholds in the Americas, Canada, Europe and Russia, coordinated by Nigerian Embassies and High Commissions abroad, the Presidency and the Nigerian National Volunteer Service.

The NIDO in their various formations seek to encourage the participation of all Nigerians in the Diaspora in the affairs of the country by acting as a forum for the exchange of views on issues relating to support for development efforts back home.

It also seeks to enhance the image of Nigeria in all aspects through networking and collaboration with Nigerian stakeholders in pursuance of national development.

To achieve its objectives, NIDO developed a Reference Global Data Bank of Nigerian talents abroad returning results on such enquiries as expertise, skills, profession, countries of residence as well as state of origin among others.
  
At its formation in 2001, NIDO Europe set up a two hundred million-dollar investment fund to help fast-track development in Nigeria. Such moves have galvanized competition among the various formations of NIDO across the world.

Aside from this, the over twenty million Nigerians abroad remit more than ten billion dollars to their relatives at home annually for various purposes such as health care, education, housing, clothing, feeding and others. Experts believe that such remittances have become more effective than foreign government loans, credits and direct investments.

In appreciation of the contributions of Nigerians in the Diaspora to National Development, Nigerian leaders have made it a point of duty to interact with members of the organization whenever they visit any country.

The leaders at such fora organized by the Nigerian Embassies in the host countries enable the Nigerian President to interact with the Diasporas, answer questions relating to Nigeria and also listen to their problems which they take up diplomatically.
Through this method, many potential diplomatic rows and other problems affecting some Nigerians abroad had been resolved amicably.
    
State governments in Nigeria have also used their citizens abroad under the NIDO platform as avenues for high level visits to woo investors, seek new equipment and mutual trade opportunities.

The Nigerian government at the national, state and local levels have also engaged the services of some of the professionals in the Diaspora who have been appointed into big time government positions.
  
In appreciation of all these, Nigeria’s National Assembly has been giving legislative backing to Diaspora issues through the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Senate and the Diaspora Committee in the House of Representatives.

It is heart-warming that the participation of Nigerians in the Diaspora in the socio-economic and political development of their fatherland has increased over time.

What remains to be seen is for the demand by Nigerians in Diaspora for active participation in politics especially allowing them to vote in elections becoming a reality as the country prepares for next year’s general election.