THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, NIDO, on Monday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to include its representatives on the board of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, in accordance with the act establishing the commission.
The Chairman of NIDO Europe, Dr Bashir Olalekan Obasekola, made the call during a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria from his base in Moscow, Russia.
Obasekola, who was recently elected chairman of NIDOE at the organisation’s biannual meeting in Dortmund, Germany, said that the inclusion of NIDO representatives on NIDCOM’s Governing Board would ensure the 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 came 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 played an active part in formulating the bill and the eventual establishment of NIDCOM and cannot be indifferent to what becomes of the practical implementation of the 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 NIDOE chairman lauded the just concluded Nigerians in Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS) organized by NIDCOM in collaboration with Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative and expressed hope to be part of the summit in future.
Under the NIDCOM Act, NIDO is expressly stated as the representative of the organised Nigerian diaspora and the organisation is expected to nominate 12 members to the governing board of NIDCOM. However, since the inauguration of the Commission more than a year ago, its Board has not been appointed by the President as provided in the Act. Moreover, it’s the view of members of NIDO that the Diaspora is not been carried along in the management of NIDCOM.
NIDOE is the continental umbrella organisation for Nigerians in Europe with a chapter network in 23 countries. With continental arms of NIDO in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa, the organization is the largest assembly of Diaspora Nigerians worldwide.
Habib Alawiye with NAN report
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