The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, on Tuesday signed an MOU with the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative, NDSI, a private sector-led organisation that is passionate in bringing in investors from the Diaspora to build up the nation’s economy.
With the signing of the MOU, NIDCOM will partner with the NDSI to organise subsequent Annual Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summits.
The chairman of the commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa described the signing of the MOU as historic, saying the initiative started in 2017 and was happy it had finally come into fruition.
“We ought to be proud of ourselves. When we talk about Diaspora, we must talk about investment and human capital development,” she said.
The NIDCOM boss thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for their support in the growth of the summit.
She thanked the committee member that have been piloting the initiative, who were mostly returnees from the Diaspora, and urged them not to relent in their efforts in the growth and development of the initiative.
Earlier, the secretary of the Commission, Engr. Dr. Yakubu Sule Bassi, said that the summit initiative was to institutionalise the Nigeria diaspora investment summit as an annual event, with the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative group registered under the CAC.
The chairperson of Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative, NDSI, Dr. Badewa Adejugbe-Williams appreciated all that had contributed to the success of the event, for their encouragement, patience and the opportunity given to them.
She promised to work hard to encourage Nigerians abroad to invest in different sectors of the economy back home.
Highlights of the MOU are:
1.To jointly convene mobilisation of events in support of Nigerians economic development;
- To conduct joint advocacy campaigns aimed at raising awareness on the importance of the Nigerian Diaspora and it’s capacity for stimulating development in Nigeria’s economic process through inward investment;
- To join effort in mobilising resources for financing investment promotion programmes and
- To identify reputable individuals and corporate entity within the Nigerian Diaspora community who can advocate for Nigeria’s economic development and serve as goodwill Ambassadors for NIDCOM in it’s drive to engage the Diaspora in Nigeria’s development process.
