Joseph Bakare
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Friday in Kigali, assured the Nigerian community living in Rwanda that he will continue to work hard to ensure that Nigeria takes its rightful place in the comity of nations.
He also assured them that his administration will confront every obstacle hindering the realisation of Nigerians’ potentials and dreams, both at home and in the diaspora.
President Tinubu spoke at an interactive session with a delegation of Nigerians living in Rwanda, composed of top-tier academics, professionals from various fields, business entrepreneurs, and students.
The President commended them for being good ambassadors of Nigeria, as exemplified by their respect for and obedience to the laws of their host country and their contributions to pan-Africanism, saying the nation is proud of them.
The President told the delegation that the reform programmes of his administration were working and that the economy had stabilised, despite the initial hiccups.
He assured them that the government owed every Nigerian – at home and abroad – the responsibility to fulfil their goals and aspirations.
” I thank you for being good ambassadors, and we are proud of what you are doing, which reflects the Nigerian pride. Our reforms are working, and the economy is bright and stable.
” We owe every Nigerian, both at home and abroad, the provision of the enabling environment to break and lead in all spheres. To the students and professionals here, I promised today that Nigeria will be governed transparently. I will lead with sincerity regardless of tribe or any other considerations,” the President further said.
The President urged members of the delegation to live in unity, charging them to see themselves as Nigerians devoid of ethnic and tribal bias.
“The Green – White – Green Flag means so much to all of us. None of us has a direct control over where we are born; God has that prerogative.
“Your tribe does not matter as you have no control over where you are born or who your parents are”, the President told the delegation.
He reflected on the tragic crisis that their host country had passed through in the past, but was encouraged that ” they had neutralised the past and embraced the future.
President Tinubu told them that the symbol on his cap, which has become his trademark, symbolises his strong belief in breaking the shackles of poverty, ignorance, disease, and every other thing that hinders citizens from attaining their best.
President Tinubu directed Nigeria’s Charge d’Affaires in Rwanda, Ambassador Ibrahim Zanna, to work closely with the Diaspora Commission and his office to address Nigerians’ concerns about harnessing the economic and intellectual potential of citizens.
Ambassador Zanna told the President that the High Commission had digitised its records and maintains a comprehensive list of Nigerians in Rwanda.
Earlier, Director General of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who led the delegation, told President Tinubu that the delegation represented exceptional Nigerians living in Rwanda, including 28 PhD holders.
She said many of them had become Chief Executives of various corporations and multinational agencies, and testified to their exemplary behaviour.
She told the President that the delegation represented the best crop of Nigerians who were contributing to the development of their host country in education, hospitality, ICT, diverse businesses and sports.
Chairman, Association of Nigerians in Rwanda, Prof. Umar Wali, who came to Rwanda as a TAC volunteer in 2005 and is now the Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC), University of Lay Adventists, Rwanda, told President Tinubu that the association was initiated through the efforts of members of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps ( TAC) serving in Rwanda.
With the vision of promoting unity, mutual support, and a positive image of Nigeria among Nigerians in Rwanda, the association has continued to encourage lawful conduct, peaceful coexistence, investment, education, cultural exchange, and strong friendship among Nigerians, Rwandans, and other communities.
The Chairman told the President about some of their difficulties in procuring visas and passports.
“There is no Passport Office at the Nigerian High Commission in Kigali, and many members of our community face difficulties renewing passports and obtaining passports for newborn babies”, he said.
Dr Olugbemi Adekakan, the Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), told the President that he was interested in replicating his contributions to humanity in Nigeria and sought the President’s support.
Others who spoke included Kelechi Anyanwu, a student, and Fatima Attahiru, the Programme Manager of the Timbuktoo Africa Initiative at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), based in Kigali.
Mrs Attahiru assured the President of her agency’s determination also to seek ways to work with the Nigerian government in areas of human capacity development and skill acquisition.
Another Nigerian, Michael Masai Ujiri, a former Nigerian-Canadian basketballer, who is now the President of the NBA club, Dallas Mavericks, told the President that he was interested in developing Nigeria’s sports infrastructure into a modern enterprise capable of attracting private investments.
Ujiri informed the President that he wholly developed the Zaria Court – an integrated sports and hospitality complex of international standard in Rwanda.
The Executive Vice Chairman, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Sulaiman Halilu, who was at the interaction, assured the members of the association that his agency had developed Diaspora-tailored programmes and modules through which they could leverage to contribute to national development and self-actualisation.
Members of the delegation lauded the President for his visionary leadership and brilliant participation in the Africa CEO Forum. They assured the President that they will continue to project Nigeria’s image positively in Rwanda and elsewhere.