With an estimated population of between five and 15 million people, Nigerians in Diaspora constitute one of those strategically placed groups with immense potential of contributing maximally to the country’s development.
The trickle of Nigerians leaving the country to live and work abroad grew into a deluge as from the late 1980s and early 1990s as a result of the country’s deepening economic crisis and the worsening levels of poverty, unemployment and incessant inflationary spirals, among others. In particular, highly trained manpower in the professions sought jobs abroad not just for more lucrative pay but also for a conducive working environment that guarantees them the requisite facilities to perform optimally and enjoy a sense of fulfillment.
Although this exodus of highly skilled Nigerian professionals in search of greener pastures abroad has been widely lamented as the ‘brain drain’ that can have only negative consequences for the country’s developmental aspirations, there has also been an unanticipated positive side to the development. This is the remittance of humongous amounts of money to their dependents back home, by Nigerians in the Diaspora, to the benefit of the economy. Indeed, but for such regular remittances, it is hard to imagine how the recipients would have coped with the ravages of Nigeria’s protracted economic crisis. It has been estimated that Nigerians in Diaspora repatriate not less than $20 billion annually to the country.
It is certainly in recognition of the critical role that Nigerians in Diaspora can play in the developmental process that the Muhammadu Buhari administration established the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), which has the mandate to mobilise and harness the human capital and material resources of Nigerians living and working abroad to participate in various policies, projects and programmes designed for the country’s socio-economic, cultural and political development. The declaration by the Federal Government of July 25 as the country’s National Diaspora Day will, without doubt, go a long way in helping to consolidate the ties between this category of Nigerians and their fatherland.
The Diaspora Day will be commemorated annually by NIDCOM in collaboration with such organisations as the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa and the Nigerians in Diaspora Alumni Network. It is our hope that this initiative will not just be another occasion for jamborees and funfair but will also feature imaginative and creative activities that will help the country maximally tap the potential of its citizens in Diaspora. In this regard, the theme for this year’s commemoration, ‘The power of the Nigerian Diaspora for National Development’ is well thought out and commendable. It is important that recommendations that come out of such talks are well disseminated, carefully documented and painstakingly implemented.
Enthused by the recognition accorded Nigerians in Diaspora by the government, many Nigerians abroad have offered suggestions on how the country can best tap their potential. These include creating opportunities for Nigerian academics abroad to undertake their sabbaticals in the country’s tertiary institutions, better facilitation and coordination of the recruitment of foreign-based Nigerian professionals to work in the country, making Nigerians in Diaspora aware of savings and investment opportunities for their remittances as well as fast-tracking the process of making it possible for Nigerians in Diaspora to vote during elections.
Of course, it is not a success story for all Nigerians in the Diaspora. There are also those who are stranded, unemployed and live from hand to mouth on the streets of foreign countries and who receive no succor from the country’s embassies or high commissions abroad. We urge NIDCOM to also make it a priority to come to the aid of such distressed Nigerians by assisting them as much as possible to come back to the country.
Furthermore, the remittances of Nigerians in Diaspora should not lull the Nigerian government into complacency. Rather, everything should be done to create the necessary conditions back home to encourage highly trained Nigerians to return to the country and contribute their quota to the quest for rapid development.
