Nigerians in Belfast appeal for govt support to carry out census

Nigerian professionals in Northern Ireland have called for support from the Nigerian government to enable them carry out a census of the country’s Diaspora community in that area.
They made the call during an interactive session at the first Town Hall Meeting with Dalhatu Tafida, the Nigerian high commissioner to the UK, on Saturday in Belfast.
Northern Ireland is a region of the UK, but shares a border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian community in Northern Ireland is estimated at 3,000, comprising mostly students.
The group, which cuts across all fields of human endeavour, said the census would help the community to have a database of Nigerians and their activities so as to ease planning.
They also raised concerns over challenges with the UK Resident Permit, which limits them only to the UK, in spite of Northern Ireland’s proximity to Ireland.
The group then appealed to the high commissioner to wade into the matter.
Other issues raised at the occasion included the Nigeria’s security challenge and UK’s proposed intervention, as well as investment opportunities in Nigeria and Diaspora engagement.
In his response, Tafida lauded the census initiative but expressed fears about the outcome, saying “many Nigerians abroad do not want to reveal their identity.
“There are many Nigerians in the UK and these include both skilled and unskilled workers, as well as students.”