Nigeria: Taking Nigeria From Third to First World Through Its Diaspora (2)

2 October 2022
Premium Times (Abuja)
opinion By Sunday Adelaja

Nigerians spread around the world remitted $21 billion into the country's economy in 2013. That is over half of our foreign reserves sent in by Nigerian diaspora in one year.

Now, I want to prove that the Nigerian diaspora definitely matters:

"For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" - Esther 4:14.

We already dealt with numbers one through five last week, we will therefore beign from the sixth point this week:

  • My friend John Abraham Godson became the first black man to be elected as a Member of Parliament in the Polish Sejm. Poland is a success story, going from a communist country to a fast growing economic power in Europe. That experience is also needed to transform Nigeria from a Third World country to a First World nation. That is where people like Pastor John Godson could be a blessing to Nigeria;
  • A Nigerian mayor of Brent, London UK, Michael Adeyeye, estimates the Nigerian population in London at over one million. Apart from Adeyeye, there are many Nigerians who have grown to attain political status in England, ranging from council members to mayors and parliament members. Chuka Umunna, Helen Grant and Chi Onwurah are good examples of that. Friends, can you begin to imagine what a torrent of influence could be brought to our economic development through this group of Diasporas in England alone?
  • There are various estimates of Nigerians in the diaspora being between 15 and 17 million. These are mainly educated, able-bodied, youthful and energetic Nigerians. They could become a driving force in the rebuilding of a new nation. Their role in making Nigeria a First World nation cannot be over-emphasised. This is because:
  • They are exposed;
  • Most of them are well read;
  • They have learned to live by the law of the nations they are in;
  • They are proactive and initiative;
  • They have experienced inter-cultural relationships;
  • Some of them speak foreign languages;
  • Most of them now know the value of hard work and money.

These are vital tools in national development. For these and many other reasons, Nigeria cannot afford to neglect this teeming number of Nigerians abroad.

  • I personally will advocate for the new Nigerian government to set up a Ministry of Diaspora and Integration. It would help build a bridge between our citizens abroad and also stimulate investment back into Nigeria's economy. Countries like India, Philippines and Mexico have national policies with regard to their diasporas. Now, most of those economies are sustained by their diaspora population. Nigeria needs to do more and learn more from those who have done better than us. ON OUR JOURNEY FROM THE THIRD WORLD TO THE FIRST WORLD, A MINISTRY OF DIASPORA AND INTEGRATION WILL BE OF URGENT DEMAND.
  • Nigerians spread around the world remitted $21 billion into the country's economy in 2013. That is over half of our foreign reserves sent in by Nigerian diaspora in one year, which is another proof that Nigerians might not necessarily need to come back. But statistics prove that, according to the United Nations, an African professional working in the United States contributes about $150,000 per year to the US economy. Again, if you do the maths, you will realise that the African professional remitting $300 per month to Africa is contributing 40 times more to the United States economy than what goes to the Africa.

As big as $21 billion sounds, no doubt these Nigerians in diaspora are capable of producing greater wealth if they bring back their expertise and skills to Nigeria. Let us assume they will not be able to multiply $21 billion 40 times as in America, but they might be able to multiply it 10 times, which would be over $200 billion every year. That is almost the size of the budget of France.

"But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life, to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance." - Gen 45:5-7

Even if most of these immigrants in the diaspora would not move back to Nigeria, in this case they might not need to. We could benefit more from them having love and passion for the country than moving back. We therefore need our government to put structures in place that would facilitate a closer relationship between African immigrants and the continent.

As much as there would be many of our immigrants who are not ready to come back to Africa, yet many are willing to come and settle in the continent. Examples abound of Nigerians who regularly move back and find their footing in Africa. These bold young Africans left the comfort of the developed world to move back to Africa and contribute their quota in making Nigeria move from a third world country to a first world nation:

I think patriotism is like charity -- it begins at home - Henry James

  • A 32 year old entrepreneur and consultant. Born and raised in FESTAC Town in Lagos. He went to Budapest, Hungary for his higher education. He moved back to Nigeria in 2014 to set up a successful business. The name of the company is Mcinos Outsource Solutions. This is a management consultancy that specialises in IT solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. Their main focus is to assist businesses on how best to use Information technology to meet their needs and improve efficiency; thereby contributing to making Nigeria a first world nation.
  • Kariba Sasegbon owns an online greeting cards company called 'Paper and String', which she set up after her move back to Nigeria, following a stint in the UK. With a background in Physiotherapy, Kariba is helping to build and develop the next generation of e-commerce businesses in Nigeria. Her passion for cards and design inspired her to set up an online greeting cards company, an idea still in its infancy in Nigeria. As little as this might sound, any idea would sell in Africa because of the virgin stage of our economy and almost total absence of competition. Everything is important to help develop Africa from a continent of third world countries to first world nations.
  • Mimidoo Achineku works in online media with the National Broadcasting Commission in Abuja. She is a blogger and has a relationship blog called 'Miseducation of Mimi'. In her spare time she is a strategic marketing campaign consultant and has started a charity initiative called 'For Every Stroke'. She attended Ronik Comprehensive College for Secondary School. Following this, she went to Cambridge Seminars in Cambridge, UK for her O' Levels, and afterwards Liverpool John Moores University for her undergraduate degree in Business Administration, majoring in Economics and Finance. Despite her rather competitive qualification, Mimidoo nevertheless moved back to Nigeria in an effort to help our nation become great again.
  • Afam Mozia, a 29 year old chap from Delta State, moved back to Nigeria in 2012, initially to for the NYSC programme. Right now he is a Systems Analyst working in a company called Energia based in Lagos. His primary and secondary education was in Benin. For secondary school, he went to Igbinedion Education Centre, graduating in 2001, and went to the US for his first degree at California State University, Dominguez Hills from 2002 to 2006. It is thanks to people like Afam that Nigeria would see a bright future, but we still need millions like him to come back and help raise our standard.
  • Bambo Akani, a sports entrepreneur in Nigeria. He runs a company called 'Making of Champions', which is a sports media and management company. He has been doing this since moving back to Nigeria. He did his A-Levels at Reading Grammar school, and afterwards enrolled at the University of Cambridge to study Chemical Engineering. Bambo decided to move back to Nigeria because the country is like a fertile ground for those looking for opportunities. But on the other hand it is another very necessary step in helping to develop the nation.
  • Peter Nwangwu was born in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria to Igbo parents from Anambra State. He did his high-school in Anglican Grammar School, Umuahia, and Methodist College, Uzuakoli, where he became the pioneer recipient of the Best Student of the Year award in 1970. In January 1972, Nwangwu came to the United States for his college education at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He was elected into the university's honour roll beginning from his first year, and also into the national scholastic honour society, Phi Eta Sigma, the exclusive academic group for selected men in American universities. He made history when he became the first student at the university to earn the Pharm.D. and Ph.D degrees simultaneously. Nwangwu lived a very productive professional life in the United States for 34 years before returning to Nigeria, to contribute to the development of the country. In a reference book, The Nigerian-Americans, published in America by Greenwood Press, authoured by Professor Ogba, Peter Nwangwu, along with Hakeem Olajuwon, were among the Nigerians who were selected and documented as Nigerians who have made the greatest positive impact and contributions to the American society.

Sunday Adelaja is a Nigeria born leader, transformation strategist, pastor and innovator. He was based in Kiev, Ukraine.

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