ABUJA, Nigeria – Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has mourned the death of Maryam Murtala, a Canadian-based Nigerian lawyer, community leader and business builder.
Dabiri-Erewa described the deceased as a “rare gem”, saying her death was a significant loss to the Nigerian diaspora community, particularly Nigerians living and doing business in Canada.
The NiDCOM Chairman/CEO, in a condolence message signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, NiDCOM, said Murtala played a major role in the success of the recently concluded first Nigerian Diaspora Economic Summit in Canada.
She said Murtala, founder and CEO of Canada Vendors, was “a builder of people, a bridge between two nations, and a shining light for Nigerians in the diaspora.”
According to her, the success of the summit would not have been possible without Murtala’s tireless efforts, hard work and passion for community development.
Dabiri-Erewa said Murtala ensured that the voices of vendors, women and small-business owners were heard and celebrated, adding that she believed the diaspora should not only speak but also serve.
“We have lost a sister, a leader, and a patriot. But her legacy will live on in every vendor she empowered, every business she supported, and every life she touched,” she said.
The NiDCOM boss recalled that she had the privilege of knowing Murtala for more than two years, describing her as an amazing, selfless personality who was “beautiful inside and out.”
She extended the condolences of NiDCOM and the Nigerian Government to Murtala’s family, Canada Vendors and the wider Nigerian community in Canada.
Murtala, a lawyer by profession, was the Public Relations Director of the Network of Nigerians in Canada (NNC) and founder/CEO of Canada Vendors, a platform dedicated to marketing, advertising and promoting Nigerian-owned businesses in Canada to a global audience.
AWAMN to Establish Waste Management Resource Centre for Capacity Building
Until her death, she also served as head of media and marketing for the first Nigerian Diaspora Economic Conference held in Canada in August.
Dabiri-Erewa prayed Allah to forgive Murtala’s shortcomings, accept her good deeds, grant her family and loved ones the strength to bear the loss, and admit her into Al-Jannah Firdaus.
“Rest in peace, Maryam. Your memory and legacy lives on,” she said.
About The Author
