Poor funding cripples databank on Nigerians abroad ' Minister

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Olugbenga Ashiru, on Tuesday blamed the lack of databank on the exact number of Nigerians in the Diaspora on inadequate funding.He told the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora in Abuja that efforts by foreign missions to have a databank on Nigerian citizens had always run into hitches due to lack of funds.The committee, which is headed by Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, however, called for an urgent policy on the Diaspora.The minister appealed to the committee to intervene in the funding challenges of the missions by addressing them in the 2012 budget.We have told our missions to have a data on all the Nigerians in their regions. We need funds.We have data individually in the missions, so when the issue comes before your committee, you will have to look at that, Ashiru said.The minister informed the committee that the Federal Government was keen on harnessing the economic potential of Nigerians living abroad.He added, Across the world today, there is increasing awareness amongst countries of the potential of their Diaspora population as vehicles for poverty reduction, development and economic growth.This has triggered initiatives to collect data and to reach out to the Diaspora groups in various countries and regions.But, giving the position of the committee on the issue, Dabiri-Erewa stated that beyond having a database, the country must fashion out a policy on the Diaspora.She explained that it was for this reason the House initiated a bill on the Nigerian Diaspora Commission to coordinate the affairs of Nigerians living outside its shores.She said, We know the issue of database is a big problem, but we must also have a constructively written policy that we can follow.We have an annual Diaspora Day in some countries which is just a jamboree.
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