By Gabriel Odu
Hon (Dr) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora
Commission, (NiDCOM), says secured access to active and reliable data
helps in the collation, processing and publishing of accurate
statistical information for developmental purposes.
Dabiri-Erewa stated this at the flag-off of the Virtual Diaspora Data
Mapping Town Hall Meeting for Liberia and Sierra Leone held in Abuja.
The NIDCOM Boss believes that the Diaspora Data Mapping registration is
aimed at creating skills mapping of Nigerians in the diaspora for
effective management of human and capital resources embedded in Nigeria.
She added that the scheme is of utmost importance to the Commission
towards enhancing contacts with Diaspora Nigerians in information
dissemination and coordination.
According to the Chairman/CEO, (NiDCOM),
“if we don’t know where you are, what you are doing, how can we come in
when we are needed?”
Amb. Zubairu Dada, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, represented by
Amb. Nasir Aminu (International Organizations Department), Ministry of
Foreign Affairs commended the amazing feats the Commission has achieved
so far, stating that there are enormous benefits for registering in the
NiDCOM Diaspora Portal particularly for remittances, investment and
other purposes such as crises management in case of an emergency
situation that will require quick evacuation among others.
Giving details of the programme, Hon. Abdulrahman Terab, NIDCOM’s Head
of Technology Transfer and Innovation, (TTI) explained that the
Diaspora Data Mapping is a process of acquiring information about
Nigerians in the diaspora through online registration, obtain basic
demographics for the purpose of planning, engagement and development.
Terab further listed the common types of data needed in the Diaspora
Data Mapping to include social demographic characteristics, locations
and addresses, contacts, duration in the diaspora, among other
variables.
Amb. Odudigbo Godfrey Nigerian Ambassador to Liberia and Amb. Henry
Omaku, Nigerian Ambassador to Sierra Leone, both commended
Chairman/CEO, NiDCOM for the initiative to help engage, involve,
monitor and track Nigerians across the globe for meaningful development
in Nigeria.
They jointly agreed to carry out massive sensitisation and awareness in
Liberia and Sierra Leone respectively.
Mr. Abiodun Oyebola (NIDO President, Sierra Leone) and Mr. ThankGod
McDonald Iriruaga (NIDO President, Liberia), were appreciative of the
Chairman/CEO NiDCOM’s efforts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Federal Government in rescuing and evacuating Nigerians during the
Ukraine-Russian war and intervening in Diaspora matters globally.
- Gabriel Odu is of the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NIDCOM.
