Abike Dabiri-Wrewa, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, has described the signing into law of the Diaspora Commission bill a welcome development.
The bill was signed by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.
A statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun in Abuja, stated that the SSA was elated about the signing into law of the bill which she introduced six years ago, when she was the chairperson of the House of Representatives on Diaspora Affairs.
“I’m so excited on the signing of the bill into law after introducing this bill to the Parliament about six years ago, finally, it’s now a law, we thank God. Our advocacy for a one stop agency for diaspora matters is finally a reality’’, she said.
Dabiri-Erewa thanked the National Assembly for passing the bill, the second time around and for President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, finally signing it into law by the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo .
Dabiri-Erewa noted that 26 countries have full Ministries for the Diaspora and that having a commission for the almost 15 million Nigerians abroad was a most welcome development.
She recalled that Nigeria in June had successfully floated a $300 million Diaspora bond, saying that Nigerians abroad are willing and eager to contribute to the development of their nation.
With the signing of the Bill into law, the head of the Commission will be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang in a statement explained that the Diaspora Commission Act “establishes the Commission under the supervisory jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
“It has the responsibility to coordinate and organise Nigerians in and from the Diaspora to contribute human capital and material resources, including their expertise, for the development of Nigeria and its constituent states.
“It will also provide a database of Nigerians on various fields and potentialities as resource base for Nigeria and the world to draw from, as well as protect the interest of all Nigerians,” he said
