•Japa
Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has called on Nigerians migrating abroad not to forget their roots, urging them to contribute positively to the development of their home country, while abroad.
NiDCOM congratulated Prof Akolisa Ufodike for being honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal, reports The Guardian.
Meanwhile, the federal government has received 144 stranded Nigerian migrants from Libya, with the collaboration of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The Chairman of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, made the appeal to the migrants while delivering a Ramadan Lecture organised by No Dull Moment in Islam (NDMI) on the theme, ‘The Intricacies of Japa Syndrome’.
In her lecture, Dabiri-Erewa acknowledged migration as a fundamental human right and a long-standing global phenomenon but emphasised that “the greater challenge lies in making migration a journey of impact,” not abandonment.
According to her, migration is not wrong, as even Prophet Muhammad (SAW) migrated from Makkah to Madinah for a better life but returned to rebuild his homeland.
She stressed that the focus should not be on stopping migration, but on ensuring that Nigerians abroad stayed connected and gave back for the development of their home country.
Highlighting the remarkable achievements of Nigerians in the Diaspora, she noted that “70 per cent of Black doctors in the Diaspora are Nigerians,” while countless others excel in technology, business, sports and entertainment.
The NiDCOM boss quoted Morotoluwa Ojomoh, a Nigerian, who won the Super Bowl Championship and returned home to a grand welcome by the Federal Government, as saying:
“The grass is greener where you nurture it.”
She revealed that Nigerians in the Diaspora contribute over $90 billion yearly in remittances, one of the highest in Africa, proving that the Diaspora remains a critical asset for national development.
In a congratulatory message issued by the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NiDCOM emphasised that the feat was a mark of Ufodike’s significant and remarkable contributions to public service, governance and diversity, as well as his outstanding accomplishment that brings credit to the nation.
For Dabiri-Ererwa, the King’s medal is a well-deserved honour going by Ufodike’s trajectory of his successful journey, dedication, unwavering and relentless strive to greatness.
She urged him not to relent in his service to humanity but to remain focused and strive to achieve more in the service to mankind as the medal marked yet another milestone in his life.
Prof Ufodike, a Nigerian-Canadian Deputy Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism in Alberta, is a finance professional, public servant and academic. By the honour, he has joined the esteemed group of 474 recipients in Alberta consisting of former premiers, chief justices, members of the Legislative Assembly and exceptional individuals who contributed to Canada and beyond.
The federal government said the returnees arrived at the Cargo Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and were received by officials of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and other government agencies.
South West Zonal Coordinator of NCFRMI, Alexander Oturu, on behalf of the Federal Commissioner, Aliyu Ahmed, in a statement yesterday, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerian citizens.
He emphasised that in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the returnees would be provided with access to government-led empowerment initiatives and reintegration support through the IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme.
“The 144 returnees comprised eight males, 100 females, 26 children and 10 infants, all of whom were conveyed on an IOM-chartered flight from Libya. Following their arrival, the returnees were transported to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) camp, where the NCFRMI, IOM and LASEMA operate under a tripartite agreement to provide temporary shelter.
“In addition, the returnees will receive onward transportation allowances to facilitate their safe return to their respective communities,” he stated.
