The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) is to establish a Boko Haram Victims Rehabilitation Fund to support the social and economic recovery of victims of terrors attacks in the North East of Nigeria. Chairman of the organisation Dr. Manuwuike George announced this at a news conference in Abuja as part of activities lined up for the forthcoming Diaspora Day 2015, which comes up between July 23 and 27 in Abuja with the theme “Inclusive Change: Partnering the Diaspora in the Change Agenda”.
He said NIDO would leverage on its contacts and goodwill across the globe to mobilise aids in support of victims of Boko Haram to enable them to overcome the anguish of their predicament.
“Boko Haram Victims Rehabilitation Fund (is) to assist victims of terrorism and minimize the trauma experienced by survivors through facilitating access to proper medical and psychological treatment,” he stated.
According to Dr. George, NIDO intends to use this year’s Diaspora Day to raise funds for the implementation of a number of projects, which include the construction of a multi-million Naira Diagnostic and Trauma Centre in Nigeria.
He said members of NIDO, who were non-partisan in politics, remained committed to keying into the present administration’s Change Agenda and contribute their quota to nation-building. “Most recently, NIDO made a robust presentation to a committee working for the government as part of our intellectual contribution to the strategies of implementing the Change Agenda of the current government in all spheres of the Nigeria national development,” said Dr. George.
Speaking further, Dr. George stated that in pursuance of its mission, NIDO would continue to facilitate and galvanize the human and economic resources of individual Nigerians and professionals, business and community Organisations outside Nigeria towards the nation’s development.
He said NIDO had explored its members’ expertise and influence to negotiate more mutually beneficial trade deals for different levels of government and the private sector in Nigeria.
He disclosed that NIDO focused mainly on professional networking, social advocacy, education, healthcare, technology and economic empowerment as well as engagement in the development of skills and cultural exchange projects.
Dr. George underscored the contribution of NIDO to the nation’s economy, which came second only to the oil and gas sector in terms of injection of foreign exchange into the country having remitted over N10 trillion between 2011 and 2014.
“In terms of remittances from her citizens living abroad, Nigeria was ranked number five globally next to China, India, Philippines and Mexico,” he remarked.
He said such remittances went into social welfare and economic empowerment of Nigerians at home.
Dr. George therefore pledged NIDO’s readiness to reverse and convert the brain drain Nigeria had suffered for so long into ‘brain gain’ for the betterment of the society.
He said the resolve of NIDO was underpinned by the reasoning that foreign nationals could never be as committed as the country’s nationals in the delivery of effective development initiatives and in the sacrifice required to make Nigeria great.
Also speaking, Mr. Abdul Dauda, who is in charge of NIDO in the United States of America, said the Organisation would soon set up a Diaspora Centre in Abuja.
According to him, the centre would serve as a one-stop-shop for Nigerians in the Diaspora wishing to return home for investment, development purposes and other social engagements.
He said the centre would also serve as the liaison between NIDO and the proposed National Diaspora Commission in facilitating access to investment opportunities, legal advice and social interventions.
