By separating its budget from the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Senate has advocated for an independent budgetary provision for Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM.
The request was made by Victor Umeh, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organizations, on Monday in Abuja while presenting the budget defense report to the Appropriation Committee.
He stated that the call was necessary due to the importance of NIDCOM in the activities of Nigerians in the Diaspora.
“Because it is a commission established by act of the National Assembly, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) should have an independent budget from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
“There are other agencies who do not do as much as NIDCOM but have independent budgetary provisions,” Umeh, a senator from Ghana, said.
He elaborated that Nigerians living abroad were making the greatest contribution to the country’s development, emphasizing that the diaspora would send $24 billion to Nigeria by 2022.
