Nigerians in Diaspora remitted $21 billion into national economy in 2015, FG discloses

Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) remitted $21 billion into Nigeria’s economy in 2015, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr Babachir Lawal has said.

Addressing this year’s Diaspora Day Conference at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, Mr Lawal said the annual conference provided Nigerians in the Diaspora the platform to interact with the Federal Government and state authorities, to address challenges confronting the country, Vanguardngr.com reported.

“The present administration is ready to partner with Nigerians in the Diaspora on how they can assist Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East region on how through medical interventions, they can improve healthcare de-livery across the country and assist government on youth empowerment and employ¬ment generation,” Mr Lawal said.

He said the Nigerians in the Diaspora had made a commitment to help the Federal Government tackle the pre¬sent challenges.

“Let me assure you that the Federal Government will continue to partner with our compatriots outside the country. This is because we appreciate the invaluable contributions they continue to make towards the growth and development of the na¬tion,” Mr Lawal said.

NIDO was established by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo as an umbrella organisation to represent the interests of Nigerian professionals overseas.

The organisation has branches in most major countries worldwide especially in Germany, Brazil, US, UK, and Singapore.

This year’s conference focused on the contribution Nigerians in the Diaspora can make to help the country’s problems.

“The government and citizens of Nigeria at home are not ignorant of our challenges as a nation; what our nation requires are solutions to specific problems,” Mr Lawal said.