Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has described Cross River’s role in diaspora affairs as impressive and historic.
Dabiri-Erewa said this on Thursday during a courtesy visit to Gov. Bassey Otu at the Governor’s Office in Calabar. She praised Cross River for being the first state in Nigeria to establish a state-level diaspora commission building and expressed delight at its active involvement in diaspora matters.
“When I saw your diaspora office, I even joked that NIDCOM’s corporate headquarters can be moved here.
I enjoin Cross River to actively participate in the national diaspora activities such as Diaspora Day which is held between July 25 and 26 and the Diaspora Merit Awards, which recognises Nigerians excelling abroad while contributing to development at home,” she said.
In his response, Otu commended the NiDCOM chairman for her pioneering role in strengthening Nigeria’s ties with its citizens abroad and noted that her leadership had helped reduce negative perceptions about Nigerians in the diaspora.
“The speed with which we established the Cross River diaspora office was because of your track record. Before you came on board, there was a disconnect between Nigeria and other countries, today, the story has changed,” he said.
He noted that the state would in October host the National Diaspora Focal Persons Summit, an event expected to draw stakeholders from across Nigeria and international partners to Calabar.
The governor described the state as one of Nigeria’s safest and most attractive destinations, highlighting its strides in infrastructure, health, tourism, and agriculture. He assured that the state was fully prepared to host the forthcoming summit and leverage it to showcase its economic and investment potential while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to partnership to make the summit a success.
Earlier, Otu Okor, Chairman of the Cross River Diaspora Commission (CRIDCOM), said the upcoming three-day summit would consolidate new and ongoing partnerships.
Okor noted that within four months of its establishment, CRIDCOM had engaged with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and renewed ties with the State of Maryland, United States of America.
He added that based on the governor’s approval, they would sign a formal partnership with the IOM to further position Cross River as a hub for diaspora collaboration. He stressed that hosting the summit in Calabar would project the state as a model for diaspora-driven development.
(NAN)