Nigerian diaspora works to
dispel negative image created by rogue actors such as Boko Haram, drug dealers
and Hushpuppi
While it is important to debunk negative
stereotypes, we should not fall into the trap of denialism and ignore or
downplay the criminal activities of some unscrupulous Nigerians in the diaspora
who are partly responsible for the country’s image crisis.
On
Sunday, 25 July, Nigeria celebrated its 15th National Diaspora Day under the
theme: “Diaspora Integration for National Peace and Development”.
Former
President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration launched this event in 2006 in
recognition of the diaspora’s contribution to national development. The 2021
virtual celebration, in the form of a webinar, was organised by the Nigerians
in Diaspora Commission (Nidcom), an organisation that provides a platform to
engage Nigerians in the diaspora in policies, projects and participation in the
socioeconomic, cultural and political development of the country.
In her
opening remarks, the chairperson of Nidcom, Abike Dabiri-Erewa noted the
inextricable link between peace and development. Her remarks were pertinent in
light of the ongoing security quagmire in Nigeria, ranging from Boko Haram
terrorism to the Niger Delta crisis, the farmer-herder conflict and kidnappings
by “bandits”.
Dabiri-Erewa
called on the Nigerian National Assembly to promulgate the much-anticipated law
that would grant voting rights to Nigerians in the diaspora and urged the
latter to be good ambassadors for their homeland in their host countries and
share good practices with Nigerians at home. She concluded by debunking the
negative stereotypes associated with Nigeria, noting the erroneous global
opinion of Nigerians as fraudsters and drug dealers.
The
director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,
who joined the webinar from Geneva, said that she missed Nigerian food and the
hustle and bustle of Lagos and Abuja. She commended Nigerians in the diaspora
for their contribution to national development, particularly through their
remittances, which have been critical in sustaining the country’s economy and
in the socioeconomic upliftment of households in terms of food, housing,
education and small and medium-sized enterprises, to name but a few.
Given the
current economic and security challenges confronting Nigeria, Okonjo-Iweala
urged Nigerians in the diaspora to do more towards the socioeconomic
development of their homeland. She noted that she had leveraged her position to
explore how Nigeria can take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade
Area (AfCFTA) to attract investment, condemn vaccine nationalism and encourage
vaccine production on the continent, as well as urge key manufacturers to
remove trade restrictions and invest in Nigeria and Africa.
The
deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, who is also a
Nigerian, argued that the Nigerian diaspora has a critical role to play towards
the attainment of peace and development in their homeland as their experience,
networks and resources can help debunk anti-Nigerian sentiments, and they are
well placed to project positive narratives of Africa, sensitise people on human
rights issues and mobilise investment.
Like
Okonjo-Iweala, she illustrated that diasporic remittances had been pivotal in
reducing poverty and fulfilling the socioeconomic needs of Nigerian households.
She added that the diaspora would be instrumental in Nigeria’s economic
recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The
invited diasporic organisations, including the Nigerians in Diaspora
Organisation worldwide, the Association of Nigerian American Professionals in
Nigeria, the Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom, the
Association of Nigerian Physicians in Americas and the Nigerian and Canadian Business
Network participated in a panel discussion, with each setting out their
contribution to peace and development in Nigeria and the challenges they
encounter.
Two key
initiatives were unveiled at the meeting — the National Diaspora Policy and the
National Diaspora Merit Award. The 2021 National Diaspora Policy’s vision is
“to effectively promote and harness the capacity and resources of Nigerians in
the Diaspora for the growth and the development of the nation”; while its
mission is “to empower Nigerians in the Diaspora as change agents for the
development of Nigeria through promoting a framework for them to maximise their
potentials in capital, knowledge and networks”; and its goal is “constructive
engagement of Nigerians in the Diaspora for sustainable national development”.
The
National Diaspora Merit Award, which was announced at the meeting, is an annual
event that will begin in 2022 to celebrate Nigerians in the diaspora who have
distinguished themselves in fields such as agriculture; information and communication
technology; science, technology and innovation; youth and sports; education;
arts and tourism; and entertainment.
Against
the backdrop of anti-Nigerian sentiments, Nidcom’s efforts in organising the
event and launching the 2021 National Diaspora Policy and an annual National
Diaspora Merit Award should be commended.
However,
to avoid the impression that this initiative is merely a public diplomacy
stunt, a more nuanced perspective of Nigerians in the diaspora could be
projected in future meetings. While Nigeria can pride itself on having several Okonjo-Iwealas, there are equally several Hushpuppis. In other words, to debunk negative
stereotypes, we should not fall into the trap of denialism and ignore or
downplay the criminal activities of some unscrupulous Nigerians in the diaspora
who are partly responsible for the country’s image crisis.
Aside
from the fact that the Nigerian government needs to create a business-friendly
environment, if it is serious about attracting more diasporic remittances
(which totalled around $25-billion in 2018) and foreign direct investment,
Nidcom should address the plight of Nigerians abroad who often do not feel at
home in Nigerian embassies and complain about poor services at consulate
offices, and the maltreatment, including extra-judicial killings of Nigerians
across the world.
This is
not to suggest that the Nigerian government often assumes the role of a
spectator while its citizens are dehumanised, jailed and killed. Indeed,
Abike-Dabiri strongly condemned the xenophobic 2019 attacks in South Africa.
However, more proactive rather than reactive measures should be considered to
arrest pervasive anti-Nigerian sentiments abroad. Addressing the plight of the
Nigerian diaspora in this regard could be the fillip required to strengthen state-diaspora
engagement.
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