Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation on Monday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to include its representatives on the board of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in accordance with the act establishing the commission.
The Chairman of NIDO Europe, Dr Bashir Obasekola, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on telephone from Moscow, Russia.
Obasekola said that the inclusion of NIDO representatives on NIDCOM’s Board of Trustees would ensure effectiveness and efficiency of the commission and lessen financial burden on the Federal Government.
“It is stated in the NIDCOM Act, that NIDO is expected to be the operational outlet outside Nigeria.
“We expect that the earlier we come in to be part of strategies and policies, the better for us all.
“Such a strategic partnership would strengthen NIDO and place it in a better position to carry out its role as the umbrella organization for the Nigerians in Diaspora.
“It will also boost our membership strength and turn the collaboration to a win-win situation,” the NIDO leader said.
According to Obasekola, NIDO was instrumental in the agitation for formulating the bill and the eventual establishment of NIDCOM and cannot be indifferent to what becomes of the practical implementation of NIDCOM Act.
He called for stronger and mutual collaboration between NIDO and NIDCOM as both organisations could not operate independently.
“Our entities have the same goal which is to harness the financial and human resources of diasporans for the betterment of Nigeria and we want to collaborate in that aspect,” he said.
The NIDO chairman lauded the just concluded Nigerians in Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS) organized by NDCOM in collaboration with Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative and expressed hope to be part of the summit in future.
NAN reports that NIDO is an arm of global Nigerian Diaspora network which provides unique opportunity for Nigerians living in Europe to learn to work and collaborate with one another in the process of building their home country.
