The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) have agreed to partner to boost Diaspora development in Africa, including collaboration on the National Diaspora Investment Trust Fund (NDITF).
Indications to this development emerged on Thursday when the Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, led a delegation of the commission to the Director General of AfDB, Nigeria Country Office, Mr. Lamin Barrow, in Abuja. During the meeting Dabiri-Erewa expressed interest to have the AfDB on board in setting up a strategic investment platform for the Diaspora especially with the NDITF.
She also informed the AfDB official about the activities of NiDCOM, adding that the Nigerians in the Diaspora all over the world are among the greatest professionals, and have recorded the highest remittances in sub-Saharan this year, according to the latest World Bank report.
According to a statement by the Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, NiDCOM, Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the NiDCOM boss also solicited AfDB collaboration on strategic road map development. NiDCOM thereafter invited the AfDB to its activities including the Diaspora investment summit and the Diaspora day, the Door of Return, and the Diaspora Housing Programme, while also informing AfDB Director General of the establishment of a Diaspora data mapping portal.
The NiDCOM boss informed the AfDB Director General that a major summit of all African Diaspora is being planned for 2023 to be hosted in Nigeria.
Responding, Barrow commended the NiDCOM Boss for her visionary leadership and passion in supporting the Diaspora, even as he assured her that the Bank is ready to partner with the Commission in all its pro African development Diaspora initiatives.
“Investment trustfund are things we want to support and we are ready to assist with strategic plans to achieve a sustainable investment base for the Diaspora”, he said.
He added that NiDCOM has highly coordinated structures, therefore, AfDB is ready to get to work as it also has a trustfund for Migration and Diaspora.
Barrow said further that “the remittances are huge but the brain power is even greater”. He encouraged NiDCOM to continue to harness the talents, energy and ideas of Nigerians in the Diaspora while also assuring to be part of NiDCOM’s other activities in the future.
