Olushola Okunlade Writes

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO Nigerians In Diaspora Commission has called on all participants at the European Union and International Organisation for Migration joint Management Workshop to make use of the knowledge impacted on them to join the fight against irregular migration.

This appeal was made in Abuja at the closing ceremony of the Workshop, focused on Lessons Learnt From Migration Management Programmes held from 2020-2022.

Dabiri-Erewa encouraged all stakeholders to come together and complement the efforts of the government in their own individual capacity by giving their best regardless of the National Situation.

“Migration is a natural phenomenon that cannot be stopped. However, irregular migration must be tainted and we all have a role to play.”

“Now that we are better informed, I appeal to us to take migration issues with utmost concern. The President Muhammadu Buhari Administration has repatriated over 10,000 Nigerians from Libya and other countries”

“IOM has also done a lot in this regard, yet there are still many Nigerians out there crying for help. Let us all give our contributions to curbing irregular migration by using the knowledge learned here and sensitizing our immediate society.” Dabiri-Erewa appealed.

European Union (EU) Representative Eleni Zerzelidou commended the Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM for being proactive in dealing with migration issues and urged the commission to take part in the sector of Fintech and Integration, noting that the commission has the potential.

The workshop was an EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Integration.

Olushola Okunlade Writes

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has described the killing of 16 Nigerian travelers in Burkina Faso as unjustifiable, callous, and criminal.

In a statement by the Head of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the NIDCOM chair called on the Burkinabe authorities to fish out the perpetrators and prosecute them accordingly.

Dabiri-Erewa reiterated President Muhammadu Buhari‘s resolve to ensure “appropriate sanction”  through diplomacy to those who were involved in the wicked killing and said it was a condemnable and barbaric act.

The NIDCOM boss joined others in condoling the families and friends of the deceased and prayed for the safety of other stranded  Nigerians in the country.

“To those who were unjustifiably killed, especially as they were on a spiritual pilgrimage, may Allah accepts them into His martyrdom and quicken the pace of recovery of those injured survivors.”, she prayed.

It will be recalled that some Muslim pilgrims including 16 Nigerians were allegedly shot and killed by Burkinabe soldiers on patrol.

At a news conference on Sunday in Abuja, the Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen Attijaniyya of Nigeria revealed that 16 of its members were shot dead by the Burkinabe soldiers on patrol.

They were reportedly on their way to the home country of their leader, Sheikhul-Islam Ibrahim Niasse, in Senegal when they met their untimely death.

The national secretary of the Islamic group, Sayyidi Yahaya, said the Ansaruddeen members were “randomly selected and cold-bloodedly shot to death in a most horrendous display of bestiality” after being stopped by the Burkinabe soldiers.

Olushola Okunlade Writes

The  Nigeria healthcare system will ultimately become a centre of medical hub with a major investment deal coming to the country, through the establishment of the Africa Medical Centre for Excellence (AMCE).

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa,  Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) stated this in Abuja while receiving Mr. Brian Deaver, the CEO, AMCE, and his team who paid her a  courtesy call on Wednesday in her office.

Noting that a number of Nigerian professionals in the healthcare industry were beginning to invest in the sector in Nigeria, the  NIDCOM boss said that the volume of Medical facilities planned for the centre, it will go a long way to reduce brain drain of medical professionals and a game changer in medical tourism.

Dabiri-Erewa added that having NiDCOM on board as a partner, will help attract Nigerian medical personnel working in the Diaspora to tap into their expertise and capacity building

“With the assemblage of this wonderful team, I am optimistic that the project is already a huge success. I therefore assure you of our support and partnership in this regard”, she said.

She added that if the vision and mission of the project are fully implemented as conceived, it will not only revamp the current situation of Nigeria’s health sector but will change Nigeria to a centre of destination for medical tourism.

Dabiri-Erewa, however, advised that there should be provision for the treatment of the less privileged in society so that the facilities will be for all categories of humanity.

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa seized the opportunity to congratulate Dr. Aisha Umar, the Chief Medical Officer of AMCE on her latest appointment, describing her as one of the best in the health sector.

The NiDCOM Boss gave the assurance of the Commission’s readiness to work with AMCE group, as a Technical Committee will be created for that effect.

Earlier,  Mr. Brian  Deaver, the CEO of AMCE, introduced his team of experts and said that the project is a world-class medical service hub aimed at providing efficient healthcare delivery in Nigeria, especially in Cancer and Cardiovascular related treatments.

According to him, the establishment of the Centre in Nigeria will reverse the flow of external medical tourism, estimated at six billion dollars annually.

With the ongoing project in Nigeria, Deaver said that over 1000 Nigerian medical and non-medical staff will be recruited.

He said that the centre will be one of the many world-class cancer treatment and diagnosis centres to be built in Nigeria with over $700 million in funding support from an Afrexim bank

Speaking in the same vein, Dr. Aisha Umar, the Chief Medical Officer of AMCE said that the group has been enthusiastic about partnering with Africa in Healthcare delivery with the pilot business in Abuja, Nigeria in the next two years as well as providing excellent training for medical personnel.