Corporate organisations in Nigeria have been urged to join hands together in creating a stronger bond and to develop an attitude of investment driven by passion for their motherland.
Chairman, House Committee on the Diaspora in the House of Representatives, Honourable Barr. Rita Orji, made the declaration at the launch of an official website for the purpose of building a network of Diaspora organisations in order for the nation to know the strength of her Diaspora organisations and other related communities.
The new site will also bring together a powerful information data of all Nigerian organisations abroad towards economic integrations, development and for political gains.
The website at www.nigerianorganisationindiaspora.com is designed and developed with latest web-based friendly interface for easy accessibility and usage.
Barr. Orji called on all officials and registered organisations to have their information and details added online immediately.
The new domain will facilitate easy and faster interaction with existing and potential organisations with the National Assembly, Foreign Affairs parastatals, states and where needed nationally.
The NASS Diaspora Committee was recently empowered with additional jurisdiction by NASS with a mandate and to, amongst others in the ninth edition of the House of Representatives Standing Orders new jurisdiction to the Committee on Diaspora (Order 18(B) Rule 30 (F), (G) and (H);
(f) Welfare and Protection of Nigerian citizens abroad; (g) Oversight of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Diaspora Matters and (h) Annual budget estimate on Diaspora Matters.
The International Diaspora Co-ordinator, CG Alistair Soyode, said: “This site is long overdue and I am grateful to the Chairman. We all look forward to the opportunity of having one voice which will make our Diaspora interests stronger as well as facilitate our needs politically especially the voting rights and the urgent establishment of the Diaspora Commission.”
Hon. Orji added: “The hard works being put in place will receive more boost with the information we are going to collect from our Diaspora stakeholders. Nigeria in the presence clime is desirous to uplift her citizens and this is indeed the time for the Diaspora to answer these calls from their country.”
She concluded by saying, she sees her partners in Senator Rose Okon and the Presidency having robust information at their fingertips from this initiative.
The Diaspora Committee will soon embark on visiting some major Nigerian Diaspora nations to seek for their professional inputs in the Nigeria’s opportunities which the prevailing national issues faced.
It is believed that more than 10 million Nigerians are found across the world with an estimated economic value of between $15 and $20 billion to Nigeria through remittances alone.
Many other Nigerians are also engaged in highly and professional corporate employments in their host nations. The United Kingdom and United States of America have the highest concentrations of Nigerians.