ABUJA, MONDAY, MAY 16, 2022
Hon (Dr) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has said that secured access to active and reliable data helps in the collation, processing and publishing of accurate statistical information for developmental purposes.
Dabiri-Erewa stated this at the flag-off of the Virtual Diaspora Data Mapping Town Hall Meeting for Liberia and Sierra Leone held in Abuja.
The NiDCOM boss said that the Diaspora Data Mapping registration is aimed at creating skills mapping of Nigerians in the diaspora for effective management of Nigeria’s human and capital resources abroad.
She added that the scheme is of utmost importance to the Commission towards enhancing contacts with Diaspora Nigerians for information dissemination and coordination.
According to her, “if we don’t know where you are, what you are doing, how can we get you to come in when you are needed?
Amb. Zubairu Dada, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, represented by Amb. Nasir Aminu (International Organizations Department), Ministry of Foreign Affairs commended the amazing feats the Commission has achieved
so far, stating that there are enormous benefits in registering in NiDCOM’s Diaspora Portal particularly for remittances, investment and other purposes such as crises management in case of an emergency situation that will require quick evacuation among others.
Giving details of the programme, Hon. Abdulrahman Terab, NiDCOM’s Head of Technology Transfer and Innovation (TTI) explained that the Diaspora Data Mapping is a process of acquiring information about Nigerians in the diaspora through online registration and obtaining basic demographics for the purpose of planning, engagement and development.
Terab further listed the common types of data needed in the Diaspora Data Mapping to include social demographic characteristics, locations and addresses, contacts, duration in the diaspora, among other variables.
Amb. Odudigbo Godfrey, Nigerian Ambassador to Liberia and Amb. Henry Omaku, Nigerian Ambassador to Sierra Leone, both commended the Chairman/CEO, NiDCOM for the initiative to help engage, involve and monitor Nigerians across the globe for meaningful development in Nigeria.
They jointly agreed to carry out massive sensitisation and awareness campaign in Liberia and Sierra Leone respectively.
Mr. Abiodun Oyebola (NIDO President, Sierra Leone) and Mr. ThankGod McDonald Iriruaga (NIDO President, Liberia), were also appreciative of the Chairman/CEO NiDCOM’s efforts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Federal Government in rescuing and evacuating Nigerians during the Ukraine-Russian war and intervening in Diaspora matters globally.
