Nigerians in Diaspora's message on Independence

Buhari

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Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, Americas (NIDOA) says Nigeria’s resilience in the face of enormous challenges is a reason to thank God as the country marks its 59 Independence anniversary.

Chairman of the NIDOA Board of Trustees (BoT ), Mr Obed Monago, conveyed the message in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York.

Monago said the current state of the Nigerian nation could have been worse given all the security, socio-political and economic challenges it had been grappling with.

He, however, said this year’s anniversary should serve as a moment of sober reflection and “rude awakening for Nigeria’’.

“We have a teaming youth that are unemployed, Nigerians in foreign lands are maltreated without fear of consequences due to the anemic economic power of Nigeria.

“This is the time for Nigeria to truly embrace its Diaspora, provide that elusive “enabling environment” for the repatriation of our enormous human capital and capacity that are abundant in the Diaspora.

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“Copy the likes of India, South Korea, even China amongst others and use our Diaspora to improve the economic well-being of Nigeria, for a more robust return on the Investment.

“The overhead will cost less than borrowing from China and other countries’’, he said.

Monago called on government to harness the experience and knowledge of the first generation of “Nigeria Diaspora’’, which he said is nearing retirement from active employment in their respective countries of abode.

The NIDOA chairman noted that the country would lose a great deal if the government failed to harness their “economic and intellectual capitals’’.

He said: “”Diaspora remittances have since surpassed the oil revenue since 2015 when it was first reported by World Bank.

“”And all the foreign aids to Nigeria combined are a drop in the bucket compared to the remittances and even at that, the Nigerian Diaspora is not accorded its rightful place in the socio-economic development of Nigeria.’’

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