The government of Nigeria is putting up plan for the establishment of Diaspora Trust Fund in the new year, 2020.
Chairman of the the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who announced this today, December 31, when he spoke to news men shortly after an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential Villa, Abuja, said the Trust Fund might come into operation by the first quarter of the 2020.
“We are putting a team in place to work out modalities for the Diaspora Trust Fund. We are in the process of planning it and engaging Nigerians in the Diaspora as to how it can be done.
“A few countries, like Ethiopia, have a Diaspora Investment Fund: Nigeria should not be an exception. We are working at it.
“We are hoping we can get everything set in the first quarter of next year (2020).”
The Diaspora Commission chairman said that the Commission has become necessary because Nigerians in the Diaspora want to invest in their country and they want to contribute.
“So, the Diaspora Investment Trust Fund will be coming up in the new year and a lot of other engagements and activities.”
Dabir-Erewa said that there was $25 billion remittances from Nigerians in Diaspora this year,2019, adding: “We hoping it could get better. There are even areas that are not even captured. The foremost remittances are not even captured; the $500 to your brothers, to your sisters.
“Beyond remitances, there are a lot more that Nigerians in the Diaspora will do for their country. We hope it gets better, we hope that Nigerians in the Diaspora continue to help in resuscitating the Nigerian economy.”
She said that her Commission will be engaging the National Assembly to look into the issue of Diaspora voting, adding that this category of Nigerians believe they should be able to vote.
“They been remitting so much to the country, contributing so much to the economy and we believe they should be able to vote.
“So we hope we can work with the parliament to amend the relevant laws to make it possible for people in the Diaspora to vote.”
