The Senate has described Nigerians in the Diaspora as the greatest assets of the country with their contributions to the nation’s development.
The Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, made the remark on Thursday when he led members of his committee on inaugural oversight functions to the headquarters of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, Abuja.
He said Nigerians abroad were diverse in their respective contributions to Nigeria’s development.
The Senate Committee was received by the chairman of NIDCOM , Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and her management team.
Oloriegbe said Nigerians in the Diaspora constituted a significant proportion of the population, not in terms of number alone but in terms of their importance to the economy of the country.
He said that despite the paucity of funds allocated to NIDCOM, the commission had been able to annex the potentials of the Nigerians in the Diaspora and also lived to expectations.
He said the committee’s visit was basically to conduct oversight functions on the commission as required by law and see further areas of interventions.
“I am happy that we are the first committee to oversight the commission after it came into existence last year.
“This commission looks so small but the responsibility put on it is very big, not only big in terms of the volume but very critical and important both for the country in terms of security and touching the lives of the individuals especially the citizens abroad.”
He assured Dabiri-Erewa that the committee would do everything possible to make the job of the commission easy for them through necessary legal framework and required amendment to the NIDCOM Act.
Oloriegbe said such amendments would enable the country to tap more into the Diaspora resources for the overall benefits of the country.
Responding, Dabiri-Erewa thanked the committee for being there for the commission during its trying period, saying its top priority was working on the database of Nigerians in the Diaspora and encouraging diaspora investments.
She said that the National Diaspora Policy, which had been validated by all stakeholders and development partners, had been sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for presentation to the Federal Executive Council for approval as that would solve some of the challenges confronting the administration of Diaspora affairs in Nigeria.
She listed other activities of the commission in the last one year of its creation as holding National Diaspora Day, Nigerians Diaspora Investment Summit, the Badagry Door of Return and inauguration of the State Focal Point Officers.
Others, according to her, included signing of MoU with some stakeholders, investment summit with Nigerians in Saudi Arabia, evacuation of stranded Nigerians abroad, Diaspora Housing project with Federal Mortgage Bank and collaboration with some international organisations.
She also requested the intervention of the committee in the areas of increased funding of the commission, reduction of charges charged by IMTOs on remittances by the diasporans and support for the commission to have its own office accommodation.
Dabiri-Erewa also solicited the support of the Senate committee on legislation to make the travelling of Nigerians abroad seeking jobs to be legalised in line with international labour laws, thus eradicating the human trafficking of Nigerians abroad.
She added that illegal migration could be made legal with the right laws put in place and effective multi-agency collaboration .
In his remarks, Abba Morro, who was also on the entourage, commended Dabiri-Erewa and her team for being dynamic despite paucity of funds.
He described her as “a comrade” always determined to achieve results against all odds.
