Abuja — The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has pledged deeper collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) to formalise remittance flows and strengthen diaspora engagement as part of efforts to drive national development.
The Minister made the commitment while receiving NIDCOM Chairman/CEO, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and her management team during a courtesy visit to the Ministry in Abuja, where he emphasised the importance of aligning diaspora contributions with Nigeria’s development priorities.
Enikanolaiye reaffirmed the Ministry’s focus on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 4D Foreign Policy framework—Demography, Democracy, Diaspora, and Development—stressing that development remains central due to its direct impact on citizens’ welfare.
“Development is not abstract. It is about roads, hospitals, power, food security, and opportunities for our youth. Our foreign policy must deliver tangible benefits to citizens,” he said.
He noted that while democracy, demography, and diaspora are critical pillars, they serve as enablers for development, which he described as the ultimate goal of Nigeria’s foreign policy direction.
The Minister also underscored the need to create a structured system to track diaspora remittances, moving transactions from informal to formal channels to enhance transparency and economic impact. He called for greater involvement of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, noting that all states stand to benefit from coordinated diaspora engagement.
Enikanolaiye further advocated increased collaboration in key sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, housing, and technology transfer, urging the diaspora to play a more active role in national growth.
Commending President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Minister said ongoing efforts to address insecurity were laying the foundation for economic recovery and sustainable development.
He also praised NIDCOM’s role in the repatriation of Nigerians abroad, particularly from South Africa, noting that the exercise demonstrated effective coordination between the Ministry, Nigeria’s missions, and relevant agencies.
On institutional challenges, the Minister acknowledged funding constraints facing the Ministry and said alternative revenue sources—including leveraging assets in foreign missions and private sector partnerships—would be explored. He added that enhanced collaboration with NIDCOM would help tackle the growing “Japa syndrome.”
Earlier, Dabiri-Erewa highlighted NIDCOM’s achievements and challenges, particularly funding and office space limitations, while appreciating the Ministry’s continued support.
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She announced that the 4th National Diaspora Merit Award would hold later this year to recognise outstanding Nigerians abroad, adding that efforts were ongoing to establish a diaspora trust fund to boost investments in Nigeria.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration to maximise diaspora contributions and support the Federal Government’s development agenda.
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