By Michael Olugbode
The Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has appealed to every state to establish a Diaspora Commission.
Dabiri-Erewa’s appeal came on the background of Abia State becoming the first state in the country to set up a Diaspora Commission.
A statement on Tuesday by the Head of Media and Public Relations, NIDCOM, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, while congratulating Abia State for the feat, asked other state to emulate the action.
The NIDCOM boss said Abians have made history with the passage of the bill by the state House of Assembly..
She expressed her appreciation to the Abia parliamentarians as well as the Diaspora-friendly governor of the state, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
She equally thanked the Special Adviser to the governor on Diaspora Matters and Special Duties, Dr. Ngozi Ogbonna-Erondu, for her diligence and consistency in ensuring the passage of the bill.
She urged other states in the country to emulate Abia State as the commission will provide a veritable platform to tap into the enormous human resources of Abians in Diaspora, who, working with Abians at home, would contribute to rapid development of the state.
The bill, H.A.B. 21 tagged ‘The Abians in Diaspora Commission Bill, 2020’, was sponsored by Hon. Onyekwere Mike Ukoha representing Arochukwu state constituency.
The Abians in Diaspora Commission Law came into force on Monday, March 22, 2021.
