The presentation shall consist of three parts. The first part shall briefly attempt
an appraisal of NIDO and identify some of the challenges it faces; the second part
shall briefly discuss the role Nigeria’s Diasporas could play in facilitating
Nigeria’s socio-economic Development. Finally, the third part shall briefly
explore what government could do to reverse what used to be described as brain
drain to socio-economic gains and how to maximize its derivable benefits from
its growing population of well-educated and economically successful nationals
living overseas. In other words, I shall be postulating that diaspora policies
require visionary, skilful and dedicated approach from country of origin for it to
succeed.
According to some comprehensive studies, the concept of Diaspora covers two
groups, comprising of 1. Non Resident Overseas citizens, in the case of Nigeria,
these would be Non-resident Nigerians (NRN) – These are Nigerian citizens and
their children, who hold Nigeria’s passports but reside outside Nigeria. 2.
Naturalized Overseas Citizens – In the case of Nigeria, these are persons of
Nigeria’s origin who have naturalized in other countries and now hold foreign
passports.
The rationale for this distinction shall become obvious as I progress but suffice to
say at this point that the policy challenges for any country of origin for each of
the groups are somewhat different. To reap maximum benefits requires
developing strategies and implementing policies that make both groups feel
welcome.
As I proceed, I shall touch on some of the Policy interventions that are likely to
strengthen these ties and the roles the diaspora could play, drawing from
experiences derived from case studies on China, India, the Philippines, Mexico,
Eritrea, and Taiwan, without specifically referring to them.
The mentioned comprehensive studies show it is more efficient for the countries
of origin to deal with one major diaspora organization, rather than an approach
of fragmentized strategy.
Now, let’s begin with NIDO. An objective and critical appraisal of the organization
would show that after all these years it’s still facing some teething challenges, but
first thing first. Despite all the turbulences, NIDO has survived and standing
strong. I commend the current leadership for their efforts to unite the2
organization. Despite enormous challenges, they have initiated and organized
numerous activities. This illustrious convocation is yet another testimony to that.
No doubt, NIDO has been a platform for partnership and networking amongst
Nigerians across the world, championing numerous events, some in partnership
with some government departments at both states and federal levels. It
participated in the development of vision 20:2020 and the first sovereign
national conference organized by then president Obasanjo. It also participated in
the national sovereign conference organized by President Goodluck Jonathan. It
has championed the drive for the Diaspora commission which has now been
passed. It is championing the Diaspora voting right. It has also organized several
projects, including medical tours, IT programs and the donation and installation
of a solar unit to give clean light to a village called Kampala near Minna.
The point I am trying to make is that NIDO has achievements to show in the
evolving years since its inception. At the same time, it would be naïve to pat our
shoulders and do as if we couldn’t have done better and be critical of some of the
developments in NIDO that have been preventing it from excelling even more,
given the potentials within its fold at different times. I suppose the grounds why
the organization has been unable to fully live to the high expectations are
manifold but a conspicuous one seems our Nigerian approach to doing things. As
in Nigeria, there is a tendency to nominate people without enough technical
capacity to represent us, which is making the organizations’ impacts below its
potentials. For reasons hard to comprehend, everybody strives to become a
leader, whether or not they are of impeccable character and have the capacity to
lead with vision. We support them without due diligence and then turn around to
wonder why the organization isn’t making that great leap that is so desirous. Too
often, we seem driven only by sentiments about what is good for us or is it our
CVs and not what is good for the organization and country. Admittedly, decision
making in democratic setups is about numbers, but it is also about the contest of
manifests, principles and vision and not the highest bidder. It is also about the
rule of law and the respect for others. By proposing or supporting those we
should know shouldn’t be in certain positions, we become active contributors to
the problems of NIDO. Along the years, we have tolerated questionable ways to
get elected at the different levels of the organization so that the best amongst us
don’t always get to lead the organization to the good of all. What seems being
overlooked is the fact that one illegality attracts the next and encourages further
disregard for the laid down rules. It should not be surprising therefore that
instead of engaging our minds in matters that would uplift the spirit of the
organization, much energy is dispensed on endless internal disputes caused by
dishonesty, and lack of transparency, indiscipline and disregard for the
organization’s laid down rules. Instead of adapting to the constitution we
continue to adapt the constitution to us, blaming our tendency to disregard
existing rules on some perceived inadequacies of the MEMART. As can be seen,
the problem has never been the constitution but the people. For the avoidance of
doubt, I recognize that some disagreements are inevitable in all human
organizations – problem is, carrying the dirty linens to the public space to watch.
This has not been good for NIDO and has been making it unattractive for those
who could join and help take it to higher heights. This is occurring so often
because NIDO does not have a complaint organ where aggrieved persons can
lodge complaints. I am proposing therefore that there be an independent3
complaint standing committee to receive and evaluate all future complaints with
a mandate to investigate and recommend as to whether or not there is enough
merit to pursue the grievance. And if so, carry out a thorough investigation and
report to the General House with recommendations on actions to be taken.
Irrespective of the foregoing, what some continue to miss is the fact that when
you think you are exposing the weaknesses of other members of the organization
to non-members, you are actually damaging the organization you apparently so
care about. These publicly exhibited and transacted conflicts are preventing the
organization from becoming that veritable vehicle to engage government and
take development to Nigeria. Every member has a duty to make positive
contributions to the advancement and well-being of the organization. After a fair
hearing, any member not abiding by the findings of the independent standing
committee, has to be sanctioned. NIDO has to find ways to discourage and
sanction the pull-him-down syndrome so prevalent amongst Nigerians. In fact
there is too much negative energy. NIDO must find ways to make itself less
attractive for people who see the organization as a platform for achieving their
personal objectives rather than the patriotic vision for which it was created
which are “to participate in the process of visioning, planning and the promotion
of democracy, social, economic, educational, training, industrial and cultural
development and good governance of Nigeria”. In fact, if some stakeholders and
NIDO’s leaderships had been less self-promoting and found ways to position the
organization to be offering technical supports to government, it would have
distinguished itself from all other Nigerian Organizations, in a most remarkable
way.
So, what is the way forward, NIDO needs peace and unity, the path to changing
the narrative can only go through self-discipline, transparency and
accountability, and respect for the rules and bye-laws of the organization. As I
have been around long enough to know where the NIDO shoes are aching, permit
me therefore to express my conviction that the organization might deliver better
results, if it would organize along professionals’ lines, such as medical arm,
economics & business arm, engineering and construction arm, IT arm to mention
a few – to be populated mainly by experts from the respective areas. These
groups can serve as technical partners in their respective areas of expertise and
so become the catalyst the organization was intended to be. Such a structure is
most likely to attract more professionals into the fold and improve on quality
service delivery. For NIDO to become more of what it should be, it has to find
ways to increase and intensify cooperation with other Nigerian organizations.
Part II
Regarding the roles the Nigerians in Diaspora could play in taking development
to Nigeria, due to time constraints, I shall focus on three areas only; namely
money transfer, Know-how transfer and Diaspora Advocacy.
1. Money transfer: Currently, remittances have become synonymous with the
diaspora contribution to national development. These rather stable
remittances are generating multiplier effects that are not only helping to
alleviate poverty in the recipient households but are spilling over to other4
households, and helping to stabilize the economy in fundamental ways.
Beyond meeting basic needs, they are helping to pay for health care and
covering educational expenses of family members. They are financing
micro start-ups and promoting entrepreneurship. But beyond our
individual remittances, there are many other ways the diaspora could
invest small amounts of their money with great impacts on the
acceleration of the pace of development. For example, if the diaspora
would start a fond with a contribution of just $150 from each of just 25%
of the estimated 10 million Nigerians in the Diaspora, this fond could kick
start with an amount of $375 million for development projects with social
contents of our choice. I implore that this should be considered seriously.
Furthermore, the Nigerian Diasporas could facilitate the economic
development of Nigeria through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and
transnational entrepreneurship. It could become more involved with
mentoring our youths back home. Have you recently thought of what could
be achieved, if every NIDO professional agrees to mentor one or two
youths in their respective field of expertise. Through the increased
consumption of produced in Nigeria products such as food, fashion and
services from the entertainment sector, these sectors could be further
strengthened? Through increased demands from abroad, we could help
consolidate these sectors.
2. Technology Transfer: In fact, on the long term, money transfer without
knowledge transfer isn’t going to get Nigeria anywhere. Indeed, it is
Knowledge Transfer that can accelerate the pace of development. To this
end, the NNVS is called upon to do more to facilitate Diaspora short-term
return, particularly in such areas as capacity building and technical
assistance in critical sectors, including helping to set up advanced research
centres. There has to be a clearly defined strategy that actively encourages
know-how repatriation.
3. Diaspora Advocacy: Frankly, if the diaspora wishes to be taken seriously as
a constituency, it must take advocacy seriously. Advocacy is about hard
citizenship work, having an opinion and being vocal on issues that we all
care about and seeking to influence government, media and other
prominent groups on the way forward. The rather besieged ordinary folks
in Nigeria are increasingly seeing the diaspora as the last bastion of hope
and expect it to become more actively involved in events at home;
speaking out to support good policies but also finding the voice to speak
up when things aren’t going as they should and proposing clear
alternatives. I am afraid, rolling out communiques when there are
calamities or sending out congratulatory messages to people who have5
been promoted or doing a job they are being fabulously paid for, do not fall
into this category. Now, let’s pause for a minute and consider the
following, despite being confronted with dilapidated infrastructure and
challenges of all kinds, such as spending billions of dollars on electricity
without electricity supply, billions of dollars on roads without good roads,
billions of dollars on railway without railway system, thousands of people
dying from minor diseases due to lack of quality health care delivery,
falling educational standards, etcetera, Nigeria remains Africa’s largest
economy, well, I don’t want to dabble into what this says about other
major African countries but I ask you to ponder over what we could make
of Nigeria if the looters stopped looting and we begin putting the resources
into fixing these deficiencies. Undoubtedly, Nigeria would be amongst the
15 largest economies of the world. Amazingly, despite these
unprecedented looting, Nigerians remain also the only people who find all
sorts of reasons to justify to celebrate and give awards to their known
corrupt politicians provided they get their crumbs. They soon forget the
other millions of their brethren suffering and crying daily under the
weight of these politicians. Amazingly, they soon turn around to wonder
why these people are emboldened to do what they do and why hardly
anything functions in Nigeria. Nigerians in diaspora have to upgrade and
stand up to be counted, not by the number of times they appear in pictures
or shake hands with politicians but by their courage and what they stand
and advocate for, without putting their personal interests at the forefront.
From the look of things, if not the diasporas, who is going to transform
Nigeria?
Part III
Now, what could government do to enhance and deepen the cooperation?
In fact, given the growing magnitude of international migration, some countries
are now more or less equating their diaspora as a distinctive region/constituency
of their countries, establishing ministry or sub-ministry level institutions for
their Non Resident and ex nationals abroad. These smart countries are pursuing
strategies to domesticate close ties with this constituency by cultivating shared
patriotic sentiments and offering them privileged access to business
opportunities, and strengthening those domestic institutions that may affect
them. They recognize their Diaspora community as a vital force to drive the pace
of development back in their countries of origin.
To this end, there are a lot of things Nigeria could do: Firstly, by transiting from
lip service to actual implementations of policies that are mutually beneficial.
Secondly, it is important for representatives of home countries to recognize that
they do the diaspora no favour by engaging them and that forging a strong6
partnership is in the best interest of their countries. Thirdly, they have to
recognize that most of the future jobs shall be knowledge based and they need
their Diaspora for capacity building to drive innovation and entrepreneurship.
Taking a cue from the studies I referred earlier, particularly as it refers to India,
being one of the pioneer countries to implement a comprehensive diaspora
policy, Nigeria could speed up the pace of its diaspora contribution by doing the
following:
1. Introducing flexible citizenship laws and developing schemes that grant
lifelong visa free entry for the NON into Nigeria, along with full residency
and employment rights.
2. Granting voting rights to the Non Resident Nigerians (NRN) by amending
voting rules to enable them register at their respective
locations/embassies.
3. Granting political rights to Non Resident Nigerians (NRN) by allowing
them to run as independent candidates for any office of their choice. This
could bring new attitudes that could influence the current culture of win or
die. The smart countries recognize that investing in strategies and policies
that make their diaspora feel welcome back home are in their best interest.
4. Granting special incentives and guarantee to the diaspora to encourage
FDI and participation in the equity market, and reducing bureaucracy and
costs of doing business.
5. Create an agency to be responsible for employment of overseas Nigerians
(doctors, scientists, academics, economists, engineers, IT experts, etc)
6. Reducing custom duty on businesses of Diaspora Nigerians investing in
Nigeria and granting tax holiday for a defined period of time. This to
include granting returnee Nigerians a five year special status on taxes,
accelerated access to justice and assistance to overcome other
bureaucratic hurdles, all driven by a clear vision to lure back and
reintegrate the diaspora into the economy.
7. Creating a Facilitation Centre to serve as a one stop shop for economic
engagements, investments and businesses coming from the diaspora. Don’t
be misled by any suggestion that something similar already exists – they
are not functioning.
8. Strengthen and support NIDO with its strategic outreach to enable it
become stronger to leverage on the expertise, skills and experience of
overseas Nigerians.
9. Rapidly implement the already passed Diaspora Commission bill to serve
as a high level body to draw upon the talent of the best Nigerian minds
overseas, including the rapid implementation of the diaspora database.
10.Strengthen the yearly Diaspora Day Event. This yearly event remains the
only convention that connects Nigeria to its vast Nigerian Diaspora. This
event is vital and must be seen as a long term investment.7
11.Encourage donor governments and multilateral agencies as well as
Nigeria’s government agencies to engage Nigerian diaspora experts for
development assignments in Nigeria.
Summarizing, for Nigeria to derive maximum benefits from its diaspora, it has to
move away from its current lip service and fragmentized approach to adopting a
more comprehensive and long term oriented strategy.
Thank you
Dr. Jones O. Edobor
(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Is an Economist, lives in Vienna.