Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured Nigerians in the Diaspora of active participation in the policies and programmes of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, aimed at positioning the country more prominently among the comity of nations.
Shettima gave the assurance during an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community in the United States, held on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He urged Nigerians abroad to maintain faith in their homeland, stressing that the nation was on the right trajectory under the reforms of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Each of you brings unique value and experience that cannot be bought in the market. Continue to believe in Nigeria. The country is on the right track, and in the fullness of time, we will take our rightful place in the comity of nations,” Shettima said.
The vice president highlighted what he described as Nigeria’s positive developmental indices, citing foreign reserves approaching the $40 billion mark, improved revenues for sub-national governments, unprecedented infrastructure projects nationwide, and ongoing investments in youth and students through initiatives such as NELFUND.
He further encouraged Nigerians abroad to take pride in their heritage and play active roles in the country’s transformation efforts.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, introduced distinguished Nigerians excelling abroad and reiterated the administration’s commitment to prioritising diaspora engagement.
“Under this administration, it is now easier to obtain passports, the non-resident Bank Verification Number (BVN) system is functional, and more investment opportunities are being created. Nigeria is becoming an attractive destination for investment,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
Members of the Nigerian community present expressed readiness to invest back home in sectors such as mining, healthcare, artificial intelligence, fintech, the creative industry, and agriculture.
Those who spoke included Adebimpe Daniels, an Amazon AI engineer; Saratu Garba, a healthcare specialist; and Idoni Matthew, among others, who commended the government for reforms improving the ease of doing business.
