What Nigerians in diaspora really want in the Nigeria Diaspora Commission (1)
No doubt, the Commission will live up to its billing to assist in the participation of Diaspora Nigerian professionals and entrepreneurs in economic projects in Nigeria, creating conducive political, economic, cultural, legal and spiritual environment. However, this is not about semantics. This is the time to put grandiloquence aside, keep political sentiments in the cooler, elevate national interest above self, analyse the realities, the challenges of living in the Diaspora and examine specific ways the establishment of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission can be mutually beneficial. So, the question is: What do Nigerians in Diaspora really want to see in the Diaspora Commission? Here we go:
The Diaspora Commission should implement skills transfer schemes and programmes directed at professionals such as doctors, engineers, professors and information technology experts. For the educational system, this can be achieved in practical terms, through mandating each of the Nigerian universities, private or public, to reserve at least two faculty positions for Diaspora Nigerian professors who desire to do their sabbatical in Nigeria thus facilitating interchange of knowledge and sharing of ‘lessons learned’. For the non-academic professions, a competitive working environment should be put in place to attract Nigerians working abroad to fill human resource gaps in the country, including through recruitment services that facilitate and coordinate the recruitment of foreign-based Nigerians.
Welfare of Nigerians abroad is a fundamental objective of the Diaspora Commission and should go beyond rhetoric. NIDCO should establish a Nigerian Diaspora Emergency Assistance Fund (NIDEAF), managed by the Diaspora Offices in countries that have a significant overseas Nigerian population. This is NOT a welfare system, but an emergency intervention programme to help in providing exigent assistance to distraught, displaced or distressed Nigerians in settings where currently Nigerian embassies and high commissions abroad often turn their back. While serving as the president of the Nigerian community in the State of Georgia, USA, I have had to step in to rescue from the cold fellow Nigerians who had became destitute, practically homeless, living on the streets, and helped to rehabilitate them and put them in homes/shelters. Quite a few Nigerians have become ‘socially challenged’, oftentimes due to not-at-fault extenuating circumstances. Such emergency assistance fund will help the most deserving cases including: boarding and lodging for distressed Nigerians abroad; provision of emergency medical care to the overseas Nigerians in need; facilitating return air passage to those who are stranded overseas; and assisting with expenditure on incidentals and for airlifting the mortal remains back home where a sponsor is unable or unwilling to do so or the family is unable to meet the cost.
Healthcare system in Nigeria is in dire straits, to say the least. The Diaspora Commission should establish collaborative relationship with medical institutions and even medical facilities abroad. Many of them are open to exchange programmes and surplus equipment donation. NIDCO should solicit more inbound “Health Missions”, and work closely with ANPA, the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas, representing the professional, political and social interests of the 4,000 plus physicians, dentists and allied professionals in the Americas.
There is no doubt that the financial capacity of majority of Nigerians in Diaspora to make significant investment is limited, thanks to family members and ‘friends’ who constantly hound, harass and pester you for money, even though they live well in Nigeria! In order to facilitate effective Diaspora engagement, NIDCO should work with financial institutions and responsible government agencies in identifying specially packaged loans or other low-cost financing options for the eligible proposed Diaspora’s projects to come to fruition. In other words, NIDCO should attract small and medium Diaspora businesses through loans, credits, and matching funds arrangements.
Incentives such as Diaspora-friendly tax regimes for the import of personal belongings and capital goods, as well as tax holidays during the initial period of investment are needed.
For Nigerians in Diaspora to be fully engaged in the political growth of the country, NIDCO should expedite the legislative representation of Nigerians in Diaspora in the National Assembly in tow with the passing of the Diaspora voting rights. This is not far-fetched. Abuja is not a state in Nigeria, but has legislative presence in the House as Federal Capital Territory.
We should have “Diaspora Territory” as a defined constituency to enable Nigerians in Diaspora to participate in the formulation of laws and constitutional direction of Nigeria. Such elected representatives from Nigerians in the Diaspora will have the similar geographical spread and numbers as in the Diaspora Commission: North America 3; Europe 2; Canada 1; Asia/Australia 2; China 1; Africa 1; South America 1.
Olowokere, the executive vice president/CEO of the US-Nigeria Trade Council, writes from Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Send reactions to:
comment@businessdayonline.