From Abdulfatah Babatunde
The Ministry of Interior is set to undertake a comprehensive review of migration and visa policies to ease processes for Nigerians at home and abroad.
Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced this while receiving the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Tuesday, in Abuja.
Abuja, Oct. 31, 2023. In tune with global standards, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior has assured Nigerians that the
”The ministry is coming up with a comprehensive review of migration and visa policies with the support of key stakeholders in the country.
”This is aimed at easing all the processes for Nigerians both home and abroad,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He expressed worries about some lopsidedness in some migration and visa policies, ”which tend to make Nigeria a dumping ground”.
The minister said the review will take cognisance of the principle of reciprocity in line with international standards.
He applauded the efforts of the NIDCOM, through the proactive nature of its chairman.
”NIDCOM has more to offer in area of welfare for Nigerians in Diaspora and creating positive image for the country abroad.”
The minister, however, shared his concerns about the general challenges with passport processing, capturing and collection.
He assured that the ministry would do everything possible to make the process more efficient.
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Earlier, Dabiri-Erewa commended the dynamism brought into the ministry by the minister.
”He has brought improvement in issuance of passports to Nigerians both home and abroad.
She advocated for a more effective passport capturing and collection process for Nigerians living abroad.
Dabiri-Erewa also solicited a collaboration between the commission and the Interior Ministry.
She also highlighted some of the activities of the commission since its inception.
The chairman listed data mapping of Nigerians in the diaspora to know the actual number of Nigerians living there.
According to her, NIDCOM brought improvement in diaspora remittances, created diaspora focal persons and held annual diaspora day on July 25.
Other activities of the commission include Badagry Door of Return, the Diaspora Quarterly lecture series, the National Diaspora Investment Summit, Diaspora Investment Trust Fund and many interventionist programmes.
NIDCOM boss said there was an urgent need for collaboration to create a structural platform to address complex diaspora issues.
Such issues, she said, require coordinated efforts from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
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