On Thursday, the House of Representatives expressed grave displeasure over the prolonged delay in constituting the Governing Board of the Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) since its establishment seven years ago.
Worried by the plight of millions of Nigerians in the Diaspora who remitted over $20 billion into the country, according to the World Bank report, the lawmakers urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to constitute the NIDCOM Board without further delay.
The resolution was passed following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Tochukwu Okere, who frowned at the prolonged delay in complying with “Section 2(1) of the Nigerians in Diaspora Establishment Act, 2017, which states that there shall be a Governing Board for the Commission, responsible for its general administration.
“The House also notes the genuine intent of President Muhammadu Buhari in signing the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission Act, 2017, in response to complaints Nigerian suffers in their host countries, resulting in a significant embarrassment to the image of Nigeria and its standing before the community of nations.
“The House further notes that the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission provides for the engagement of Nigerians in the Diaspora in policies, projects, and participation in the development of Nigeria and the purpose of utilizing human capital and material resources of Nigerians in the Diaspora towards the overall socio-economic, cultural, and political development of Nigeria.
“The House is aware that Nigeria has a huge, well-educated, and hardworking diaspora population across all continents of the world and constitutes a significant percentage of active economic capital for our national growth and development.
“The House is also aware that a recent World Bank report states that Nigeria is the highest remittance-recipient country in Sub-Saharan Africa, approximated at about $20 billion in official remittances by the end of 2023, which is about 38% of remittances flowing to the regions. At the close of 2023, the exchange rate of N885.88 was about N17.71 trillion.
“The House is concerned that the challenges faced by the Nigerians in the diaspora that necessitated the establishment of the Commission remain unresolved and have worsened, attributed to the fact that the Board of the Commission has yet to be constituted by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since its establishment seven years ago.
“The House is also concerned that Nigerians in the diaspora have contributed significantly to the country’s economic growth, development, and social stability, and their welfare should be given special attention by the government and its organs.
“The House is worried that if the Board is not constituted immediately, the capacity of NIDCOM to address the challenges of Nigerians in the diaspora will worsen and that would present Nigeria from a negative perspective as a country that does not care for the welfare of its citizens, thus undermining the establishment of the Commission,” he noted.
Hence, the House urged President Tinubu to give effect to the provisions of Section 2(1) of the NIDCOM Establishment Act, 2017, by constituting the Board of NIDCOM.
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The House also urged President Tinubu to inaugurate the Board after their confirmation and charge it to address the numerous challenges facing Nigerians in the Diaspora immediately.
To this end, the House mandated its Committee on Diaspora to ensure compliance.
