By Fatima Saka
The Nigeria Senate has reaffirmed its commitment in mobilizing funds for Diaspora commission, through the engagement of initiative of partnership with the Nigerians in Diasporas.
This was revealed by the Senate chairman committee on Diasporas and NGOs, Senator Umeh Victor Chukwunonyelu, representing Anambra Central senatorial district, during interaction and briefing with the Diaspora commission on Wednesday in Abuja.
Senator Umeh said that the interactive session is about Nigeria in diasporas, on social insurance Trust Fund, added that trust fund is what the commission is initiating as a way of mobilizing funds for the activities of the commission.
He expressed that diasporas involve traveling activities of Nigerians across the world beyond the boundary of Nigeria.
The Senate chairman committee on Diasporas and NGOs, said: “The Diaspora community is a very large community. From the interaction, the Senate has clearly identified the challenges the commission is facing which funding, the commission needs to be properly funded and ready to work.
“Even the National Assembly committees of both the Senate and House of Representatives on Diasporas need to be involved in the activities of the commission.
“Our target is to mobilize Nigerians in Diasporas to partner with the Nigerian government to drive the key programmes of the government towards development, Nigerians top business owners globally, in health care services, Agriculture and energy.
“There no place you would not find
Nigerian being top management.
What Nigeria lacks is harnessing the economy of those in Diasporas, so there’s a need in looking out for them, and let’s look homeward not to come and start.
“Through their businesses and corporations attract investment into Nigeria, if this set of people has been identified, they are brought to the Nigeria government by creating different opportunities to the development of the nation’s economy.
“Mind you when talking about Nigerians in Diasporas people tend to think of Nigerians that have problems outside the country. Giving an instance of those who are in prison for one crime. The government of Nigeria has called on its citizens to be law abiding, and observed the laws and protocols of the country they reside. So that they will be free from prison and arraignment. There is dignity in laboring. By being engaged in lawful activities. They are those who do good business out there.
“The committee is very much interested in Nigeria doing legitimate business in various organizations and corporations across the globe so that the Senate can harness their potentials and bring them to the country so that the government can benefit from their legitimate business.
“The Diaspora commission is convinced to boost Nigeria’s revenue service, because Nigerians that are so many in number and very well exposed, know what will happen to the country’s economy, so they can bring such culture, and also bring their business partners in advanced countries to come and do business in Nigeria.
“The Senate and the commission is going in search of these sets of groups to do business in Nigeria.”
Speaking on the state of dollars and security issues and obstacles for investment partners coming into Nigeria, the Senator said $200billion was brought into the country to get an inflow of exchange rate in Nigeria’s economy.
He added that this is huge, that depreciation of naira has been brought through these inflows by the Diasporas communities. Those remittances contribute to the aggregate amount of dollars available to Nigeria’s economy, adding that the huge amounts of money is a boost to Nigeria’s economy.
