Shettima Meets Nigerians in New York, Seeks Diaspora Support for National Development
Oru Leonard
Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has engaged Nigerians living in the United States in a town hall meeting in New York, calling for stronger diaspora participation in Nigeria’s development.
The engagement was held on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and focused on strengthening the relationship between the Federal Government and Nigerians in the diaspora.
Shettima conveyed President Tinubu’s warm greetings to Nigerians in the United States, noting that the President himself had a period of residence in Chicago.
The town hall meeting was coordinated and moderated by the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, as part of efforts to deepen diaspora engagement and mobilise Nigerians abroad for national development.
Discussions centred on diaspora participation in national development, investment opportunities, skills and knowledge transfer, as well as the role of Nigerians abroad in advancing the country’s economic and diplomatic interests.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for members of the Nigerian community to interact with senior government officials and state governors on issues affecting Nigerians in the diaspora and their potential contributions to Nigeria.
Among those who attended were the Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal; Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara; and Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum.
Also present were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro; Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa; and Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake.
Others included the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of State, FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure; and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim.
The meeting underscores the Federal Government’s continued efforts to position the Nigerian diaspora as a strategic partner in investment, knowledge transfer, economic development and international engagement.
(NiDCOM Media)
