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Hon. Sodipe Call For Better Engagement Of Nigerians In Diaspora
Akande Sodipe has called for better engagement of Nigerians in the diaspora.
News Rain, Reports that the Federal lawmaker, that is representing the Oluyole Federal Constituency at the Green Chamber has called for better engagement of the Nigerians in the diaspora.
Honourable Tolulope Akande Sodipe, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora, made her gesture known yesterday during the NIDO Americas Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Conference 2020
What Akande Sodipe Said About Nigerians In Diaspora.
The NIDO AGM and Conference 2020 was held virtually, with the theme: “Harnessing Diaspora Human Capital For Sustainable Development In Nigeria”.
Sodipe who noted that the World Bank estimated that global remittances grew by 10% from $633 billion in 2017 to $689billion in 2018, with developing countries receiving 77% or $528billion of the total inflow, also queried the insignificant impact of diaspora remittances in the Nigerian economy, despite the huge records of remittances received by Nigeria, according to the World Bank.
Akande-Sadipe also revealed that in 2017 Nigeria led the continent in terms of remittances while in 2018 Egypt and Nigeria accounted for the largest inflow into Africa.
The Oluyole Federal Constituency Representative, however, noted that the officially recorded remittances are much lower than the actual remittances recorded by the World Bank, due to unofficial informal channels, saying these informal channels could add at least 50% to the global figures.
Sodipe called on the House Committee on Diaspora to initiate an Investigation on Diaspora Remittances, to correct the current narrative on Diaspora remittances.
She further asserted that adequate measures need to be put in place to ensure accountability and transparency for Sustainable National Growth and Development.
Quoting the United Nations official records which states that there are about 1.24 million migrants from Nigeria in the diaspora, Akande-Sadipe, who represents Oluyole Federal Constituency lamented the growing trend in migration from the country, the loss of human capital.
“We need to continuously engage our people in the diaspora in industrialized countries to provide much-needed human, social, and financial capital to help with the country’s economic development. For the Nigerian economy to successfully transition from the current state of commodity-dominated production to high value-added products, the government must design and implement strategies to harness our grossly underutilized diaspora in developed countries”.
“Nigerians in Diaspora have been a major force for development in the country through remittances, but there is a need for a more committed strategy for the promotion of trade and investments, innovation, knowledge and technology transfers”, she said.