President Buhari has said with the establishment of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Nigerians abroad can now seamlessly contribute their quota to national development, especially by investing in the economy.
The President said this on Saturday while speaking at a town hall meeting with Nigerians in the Diaspora on the margins of the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), in Kigali, Rwanda.
Buhari urged them to continue to uphold the good image of Nigeria by obeying the laws of their host country.
He hailed Nigerian youths excelling at home and abroad, saying the country would welcome inputs and investments from compatriots with international exposure for the economy to thrive.
Buhari, in a statement by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said, ‘‘It gives me great pleasure to be in Kigali, Rwanda and to meet with you, members of the Nigerian Diaspora as part of my regular meetings with Nigerians wherever I visit other countries.
‘‘Let me begin by congratulating and commending Yewande Adebowale for emerging as one of the top four winners at the Commonwealth Youth competition at the Kigali Startup Festival 2022 at the Commonwealth Youth Forum.
‘‘I also commend Esther Olanrewaju and Favour Aderinto who are recipients of the Lakshmi Subramanian CMU-Africa Student Excellence Awards for Masters in Information Technology and Electrical and Computer Engineering respectively.
‘‘I am proud of you all, and I remain ever proud of our Nigerian youths excelling, at home and abroad.”
The President expressed the determination of his administration to work with Nigerians both at home and abroad to develop the economy and create a productive and peaceful nation that catered to the needs of its citizens.
He added that his administration was equally working “assiduously” to protect all Nigerians whether at home or abroad to feel safe and attain their full potentials in life.
The Nigerian High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ambassador Aishatu Musa, told President Buhari that Nigerians in the country were generally well behaved, and their population had swelled from 100 to 400 in recent years.
She added that President of the Association of Nigerians was Professor Umaru Wali, a Dean at the University of Rwanda, who hails from Sokoto State.
The event, coordinated by Chairman NIDCOM, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, saw the following Nigerians interacting with the President: Kelechi Reginald, Chief Executive Officer of an investment firm, Uduak Udoh, who runs an architectural consultancy, Muyiwa Omololu, Managing Director of Rope Ways Transit, a company that builds cable cars, Favour Aderinto and Esther Olanrewaju, Lakshmi Subramaniam Excellence Award Winners, and Yewande Adebowale, who runs Salubata, an outfit that makes shoes from recycled plastic waste.
Also at the event were Mr Geoffrey Onyeama and Chief Sunday Dare, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and Youth and Sports Development, respectively.
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