President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians living abroad to remember that there is no place like home. Speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, at the 2024 National Diaspora Day Celebrations in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu shared his personal experience of living and working abroad before returning to Nigeria to help build the country.
Tinubu encouraged those abroad to bring back their knowledge and skills to support his development plans. "As someone who once lived and worked abroad, I can attest that migration can be transformative. In the 1970s, I went to the United States, where I studied and worked, before returning to Nigeria to contribute to nation-building," he said.
The President emphasized that the government does not resent Nigerians who move abroad for better opportunities but urged them to stay connected to their homeland. "We must acknowledge the impact of our diaspora on our collective growth. We cannot begrudge our citizens seeking better opportunities abroad, but we must urge them not to forget their homeland," Tinubu added.
Tinubu highlighted the significant contributions of Nigerians abroad, noting that diaspora remittances totaled $646 million between January and May 2024. "The CBN has recently introduced some reforms in the sector. In January, remittances totaled $138.56 million. We recorded $39 million in February, $104 million in March, $193 million in April, and $365 million in May 2024. This progression reflects the level of trust and the positive outcomes of the mandatory reforms the Central Bank has achieved."
He also mentioned that the Nigeria High Commission in Ottawa, Canada, estimates that around 200,000 to 250,000 Nigerians live in Canada. Additionally, Tinubu stated that estimates suggest between 10 million and 14 million Nigerians are in the diaspora, mostly in other African countries.
"The Nigerian Immigration Service's recent data showed that Nigeria recorded a significant increase in emigration, with 3.7 million citizens leaving the country between 2022 and September 2023. However, Nigeria also received 1.3 million immigrants during the same period, making us the 46th country with the most immigrants globally," Tinubu concluded.
0 Comments