The Nigerian Diaspora and National Development: Contributions, Challenges, and Lessons from Other Countries

• Main Authors: Wapmuk, Sharkdam, Akinkuotu, Oluwatooni, Ibonye, Vincent
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2024
• Subjects: African diaspora; Nigerian diaspora; diaspora policy; national development; international migration; diaspora relations; international remittance
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/kk/vol1/iss23/18; https://archium.ateneo.edu/context/kk/article/1591/viewcontent/_5BKKv00n23_2014_5D_205.1_Monograph_Wapmuk_Akinkuotu_Ibonye.pdf
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

The paper, in general terms, clarifies and discusses the link between the Diaspora and the issue of development in general, and, in specific terms examines the role as well as the huge potential of the Nigerian Diaspora in national development. Drawing lessons from the historical as well as contemporary experiences of some countries such as India, China, Philippines, Italy, and Ghana, the paper argues that the Diaspora can be an agent of national development. In analyzing the different Diasporas and remittances from Diasporas from the different countries, the paper took cognizance of the fact that they are not similar to each other, just like Nigerian Diaspora has different kinds of diasporic conditions and responses as that of other African countries in Diaspora. After many years of military authoritarian rule, Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999. The event opened a new vista in terms of Nigerian government-Diaspora relations. This is evidenced in the increased efforts by past administrations of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Yar Adua and present administration of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to attract the Diaspora, not only to identify with Nigeria, but also to contribute to the country’s development. The philosophy behind Nigeria’s current efforts to engage the Nigerian Diaspora was borne out of the recognition of the huge capital and resources of the Diaspora and the need to tap into that vast reservoir of knowledge, skills, and experiences for national development. The new initiatives by the civilian government towards engaging the Nigerian Diaspora included interactive meetings, dialogues, conference, and through the creation of organizations such as the Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) and Nigerian National Volunteer Service (NNVS) as platforms for Diaspora engagement and the adoption of July 25 as Diaspora Day every year. Such appropriative efforts have not yielded enough fruits as the Nigerian state would have wanted. This, in part, is due to the characteristic of Diaspora and diasporic identities in their highly hybridized and ever multidirectional character, rendering the impossibility of entire cooption by the national government and its agencies. When compared with the experiences of some of the countries examined, it becomes evident that the Nigerian government develop more platforms for the engagement of the Nigerian Diaspora and also improve its engagement with the Diaspora by building partnerships and harnessing its resources for national gains. The study therefore concludes by recommending that an institutional framework should be created by the Nigerian government that will effectively engage the Nigerian Diaspora, so that the huge potentials therein can be harnessed for national development.