By Abdulfatah Babatunde
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is irrevocably committed to pursuing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Four-Ds agenda for national development.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, gave this assurance when receiving the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa in his office, on Tuesday, in Abuja.
TheNewsZenith reports that the Four-Ds comprised of Development, Democracy, Demography and Diaspora.
Tuggar said Nigeria should tap into its diaspora beyond Europe and America.
He said the country should also focus on Africa Diasporas to utilise its global exposure, skills and competencies for national development.
The minister commended NiDCOM for performing well within four years of its establishment.
He noted that some of NiDCOM’s programmes, especially the National Diaspora Day, “are worthy of emulation”.
Tuggar remarked that the world has turned into Nigerian heritage and there is a yarning for Nigerian culture outside.
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“Hence the need to navigate Nigeria’s soft power to advantage.”
Briefing the minister, Dabiri-Erewa highlighted some of the achievements of NiDCOM in the last four years.
“NiDCOM has consistently hosted the National Diaspora Day, attracting over 5000 hybrid participants annually.
Other achievements, according to her, are developing National Diaspora Policy, Diaspora Data Mapping, National Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS), Diaspora Housing Mortgage Scheme and Diaspora Quarterly Lecture among others.
The NiDCOM boss, prayed for robust collaboration with strategic ministries and agencies to upscale diaspora remittances.
According to her, diaspora remittances currently stands at $22 billion dollars annually.
These acrrue through Diaspora Direct Investments, Diaspora Medical Missions and the establishment of Diaspora Continental Offices.
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