The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan has restated the Assembly’s commitment to the welfare and well-being of Nigerians living anywhere in the Diaspora.
The Senate president stated this during the official presentation of a compendium entitled ” +600 Diaspora icons at 60″ by Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and management staff in Abuja.
Lawan commended the doggedness, passion and determination of the NIDCOM boss in bringing diaspora issues to the front burner right from her days in the parliament and now as chairman of NIDCOM.
On Diaspora Voting, Senator Lawan expressed optimism that Nigerians anywhere in the world would soon freely exercise their franchise once INEC is through with the bill.
This position was corroborated by the Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, emphasising that the National Assembly was working with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to put mechanisms that would ensure Nigerians anywhere in the world exercise their freedom to vote.
He, however, gave assurances that the 9th Senate was the Nigerian Senate that ensured bills that were people-centred were considered and passed.
Lawan promised to support NIDCOM in its enormous task of engaging the Diaspora especially with the adoption and ratification of the National Diaspora Policy in tandem with Nigeria’s Foreign Policy.
Presenting the compendium, the NIDCOM boss said it was a compilation of extraordinary and exceptional exploits of Nigerians in the Diaspora in different sectors, though the list was endless.
Dabiri-Erewa further said NIDCOM was primarily building trust with the Nigerian Diaspora global community to fast track investment back home through various programmes.
She added that the National Diaspora Investment Summit had attracted over 300 Nigerians investing in different sectors of the economy.
Other programmes of the Commission, she added, included Diaspora Door of Return, Diaspora Data Mapping, Diaspora Portal Mechanism, Diaspora Lecture Series, Annual National Diaspora Day, and appointment of 33 Diaspora Focal Point Officers across the states, among others.
