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Osinbajo guarantees Nigerians in Diaspora of good returns, security of investment

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Osinbajo guarantees Nigerians in Diaspora of good returns, security of investment

Osinbajo guarantees Nigerians in Diaspora of good returns, security of investment

By: Michael Mike, Abuja

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has guaranteed Nigerians in the Diaspora of security and good returns on their investment in the country. 

Osinbajo gave the promise on Tuesday at the opening of the 4th Nigerian Diaspora Investment Summit 2021 organised by Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative (NDIS) and Nigerian in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), with the theme “Diaspora partnership and Linkages for post-Covid Economic Growth”.

He noted that the country’s post Covid recovery cannot be achieved without the partnership and deep involvement of the Diaspora and foreign investors, among others. 

The Vice President in his keynote address, which was presented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, also pointed out that the government was disarious in diversifying the country’s economy. 

He said: “Recovering the economy of the nation cannot be achieved by the government alone; we need the partnership and deep involvement of the Diaspora and foreign investors, among others, investing in local businesses to boost and diversify the economy.  

“It is this realization that has driven this Administration’s support for the NDIS as a clarion call to our Diaspora and their friends to come and invest in a land of boundless opportunities and possibilities like the Chinese, Indians, Lebanese, Israelis and South Africans are already and successfully doing here in Nigeria.  Last year witnessed a number of Diaspora investors heeding that call and it is encouraging to note that even more have turned up this year.  We assure you of our commitment to ensure that your investments are not only secure but that you get a good rate of return on the investments you make, while basking in the glow of being contributors to the growth of business and development of the nation.”

He added that: “We remain steadfast in our goal of diversifying the economic resource base of the nation and so seek to activate and encourage multifarious investment options. The Nigerian Diaspora, who are not only familiar with the investment terrain, understand the risks and have personal interest and stake in the future of this country, but have also been acclaimed as one of the largest, brightest and most enigmatic Diaspora group in the world, are clearly a desired and desirable base to rely on and partner with in boosting our Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for development.  

“We look to your emotional and logical connections with this great land of ours with which you have chosen to maintain links and your clear recognition of the abundant economic possibilities inherent in investing in its growth and development.  We invite you to continue to explore ways and means of leveraging activities such as the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit to not only expand your wealth but also develop a nation you wish to come back to.”

He noted that the investment summit “is in consonance with the Administration’s expectation of an expansion of the economic base through Diaspora investment. I certainly hope therefore that the Business to Business (B2B) connections on which this Summit is structured will result in the stated outcomes of attracting meaningful and sustainable Diaspora investments to boost economic growth and development of Nigeria.”

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Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, NiDCOM said partnership with Nigerians in Diaspora are essential for credible response with lasting effects to the impact of Covid

Dabiri-Erewa, who commended the Nigerians in Diaspora for their support to the country at the height of the Covid pandemic said “if there is one single lesson to be learnt from this, it is the African proverb that says if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. It simply means that partnerships are essential for credible response with lasting effects.”

She said: “Therefore in the quest of the Federal Government to go far in repositioning the economy in this post Covid era, there is a need to partner with the Diaspora in achieving these goals. This is why the Summit with this year’s theme being Diaspora Partnership and Linkages for Post-COVID Economic Growth is very apt because it creates that avenue and platform of partnership between the Government and the Diaspora in attracting investment into local business and thus enhancing Foreign Direct Investment in the country.

“Beyond this, NDIS has over the years been expanding its participants’ network, showcasing their products and services to target audiences such as the Diaspora investors, sponsors and government actors. Besides, it has been providing pro bono coaching and mentoring services to pitchers on how best to sell their business and attract investment. This goes to show that the Summit is not just keen on attracting foreign Direct Investment but ensuring that the capacities of local businesses, most especially those that participate in the Summit, are significantly enhanced.”

On her part, the Summit Coordinator, Dr. Badewa Adejugbe-Wilaims pointed out that “there are a great number of well-trained, resourceful, and talented Nigerians in the Diaspora who are in various business sectors, including healthcare, real-estate, and agribusiness, just to mention a few, who have made a mark in their various fields and have over the years demonstrated their strong desire to give back and help in developing the country. It will be tragic if the country fails to partner with this set of Diaspora and attract their investments into the country’s small and medium enterprises in a bid to grow the country’s economy.

“This summit is therefore apt, as it creates a platform for the Diaspora to invest in SMES in the country and further demonstrates that targeting the Diaspora for inward investment is one of the best strategies to drive socio-economic growth and development in the country. I would also like participants to note that this year’s event is peculiar in that it plans to host a Diaspora Housing Fair, where all Nigerians in the Diaspora will be availed of various opportunities to own their homes in Nigeria seamlessly.”

Osinbajo guarantees Nigerians in Diaspora of good returns, security of investment

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NAPTIP Alerts Nigerians to Increasing Challenges in Human Trafficking

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NAPTIP Alerts Nigerians to Increasing Challenges in Human Trafficking

By: Michael Mike

The Director General, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Hajiya Binta Bello has alerted of the increasing challenges in human trafficking where traffickers have continued to deceive victims with pseudo job opportunities and harvested their organs..

Addressing a press conference on activities lined up for this year’s World Day Against Human Trafficking, Bello said it should interest all that the fight against human trafficking has continued to take new dimensions with emerging trends daily.

She said this is coupled with a new destination and further exploitation of victims.

She lamented that some of the disturbing trends that are on the increase, include Fake Job Opportunities and Scholarships in some destination countries; Recruitment of Victims as Marketing Agents for some branded products with the intention to exploit them; Recruitment of unsuspecting youths for Online Scam (Yahoo-Yahoo) within Nigeria, Ghana and some West African Countries; Online Trafficking/Sextortion, revenge porn,– Nigeria and Ghana.

Others are Baby Factory; Organ Harvesting; Online Loan Scheme – This is a situation where the suspect uses social media handles to lure unsuspecting victims into accepting, but at the end of the day, compel them into prostitution in return for the loan.

She noted that even though the crime of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) continues to evolve, becoming more complex, transnational and interlinked with other forms of violence and exploitation, particularly affecting women, children, persons with disabilities, and the elderly, NAPTIP has continued to perform maximally in line with its mandates.

Bello said: “The Agency has continued to carry out its activities in line with the 5Ps Strategies of Prevention, Partnership, Policy, Protection, and Prosecution. These have metamorphosed to massive awareness across the country to reduce the vulnerability of the citizens, increased collaboration and coordination, development of counter trafficking policies, rescue and rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking,and prosecution of offenders.”

She reiterated that: “Our resolve to tackle human trafficking in Nigeria is firm and unequivocal, and we shall continue to scale our strategies to outsmart the traffickers. It is our resolve to continue doubling our efforts to outsmart the tactics of the traffickers.

“In the coming months, it will be very challenging for human traffickers in the Country. We shall increase our coordination mechanism to empower all state and non–state actors to detect and report issues of human trafficking anywhere in the Country.

“In the same vein, we have built the capacity of our Cybercrime Squad and aligned it with the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime (JCTC) under the Federal Ministry of Justice to effectively and swiftly respond and address the growing trends of online recruitment and exploitation.”

Bello said: “NAPTIP has also strengthened working relationship and collaboration with other sister Law Enforcement Agencies including the Intelligence Community to ensure adequate surveillance and interception of traffickers and victims of human trafficking. This is in addition to the reinforcement and stringent enforcement of the relevant counter trafficking legal instruments with neighbouring countries and partners to prevent human trafficking.”

She however insisted that: “Human trafficking is a visible threat to National Development. It is a crime that weakens the foundation and pillars of any nation, with women and youth as the main target. So, we must set aside any rivalry; we must join hands together and ensure the protection of Nigerians.”

On his part, the Country Representative of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr. Cheikh Toure reaffirmed UNODC’s unwavering solidarity with
the Nigerian people in confronting the scourge of human trafficking.

He said: “This year’s theme “Human Trafficking is Organised Crime: End the Exploitation” demands we recognize a stark reality: trafficking is not incidental crime, but a calculated, transnational enterprise profiting from the vulnerability of our women, children, and men.”

He added that: “As custodian of the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), UNODC stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Government of Nigeria. We must dismantle criminal networks through coordinated, cross-border action, strengthening justice, protecting victims, and holding perpetrators accountable.

He insisted that: “Human trafficking violates every principle of human dignity, destabilizes societies, and undermines the rule of law. Let me be clear: UNODC will deepen its partnership with Nigeria working with government, civil society, and survivors to shatter criminal empires, uplift victims, and build a future where no Nigerian is bought or sold. The time for decisive action is now.”

NAPTIP Alerts Nigerians to Increasing Challenges in Human Trafficking

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Producers Are Mandated to Embrace Circular Economy with Recycling and Reuse as Fundamentals

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Producers Are Mandated to Embrace Circular Economy with Recycling and Reuse as Fundamentals

By: Michael Mike

The Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Innocent Barikor has explained that the Extended Producer Responsibility Programme (EPR) has made it mandatory for producers to design products and packaging that can be recycled or reused in line with Circular Economy.

Barikor made the disclosure on Tuesday, while entertaining questions on NESREA Half Hour, an environmental programme by NESREA in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps, that airs on the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM Abuja.

Represented by the Assistant Director Plastic, Engr. Chukwudi Nwabuisiaku, Prof. Barikor described the Circular Economy as an economic system where products and packaging are designed to last, and their packaging at post-consumer stage or end-of-life are managed in a manner that such products can be recycled, reused, upgraded, repurposed or upcycled.

He said, “If you are producing anything, think of the end-of life of that product, it’s take-back, and what else it can be used for. Therefore, the responsibility of the producer is extended to the post-consumer stage or end-of-life.”

Barikor also stated that all producers are mandated to register with the relevant Producer Responsibility Organisation of their product’s sector, adding that here are Existing PROs in the country for the Food & Beverage , Battery, Electrical and Electronics and Tyre Sectors where the programme has already kicked off.

He said the agency was also partnering with a Fintech company to strengthen the implementation framework for the formalization of the downstream operators of the value chain and ensuring that waste pickers and collectors are properly trained and incentivized by the Producer Responsibility Organisations.

Producers Are Mandated to Embrace Circular Economy with Recycling and Reuse as Fundamentals

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Jonathan, Marwa, Onyema, 16 Others to Be Honoured at DICAN Conference

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Jonathan, Marwa, Onyema, 16 Others to Be Honoured at DICAN Conference

By: Michael Mike

A convergence of Nigeria’s diplomatic community, security stakeholders, policy experts, and scholars is set to take place in Abuja on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, as the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN) hosts the first-ever Diplomatic/Security International Conference, focusing on the intersection of diplomacy, national security, and Nigeria’s 4D Foreign Policy Strategy: Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora spearheaded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar.

This groundbreaking gathering, themed “Nigeria’s 4Ds Foreign Policy Strategy Amidst Global Security Challenges, Strategic Misperceptions, and the Age of Disinformation: The Role of Diplomacy, Intelligence, and Media in Shaping National and Global Stability.” is a timely response to the growing need for informed, cross-sectoral collaboration in safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and global interests.

It will bring together seasoned diplomats, representatives of foreign missions, security chiefs, media professionals, researchers, and civil society actors to dissect key issues shaping the nation’s international engagement and internal stability.

Chairman of DICAN, Idehai Frederick, described the conference as a bold intellectual platform aimed at bridging the gap between security policy, diplomatic action, and media accountability.

According to him, “Nigeria is undergoing a deep recalibration of its foreign policy doctrine under the 4D framework. We believe the media has a crucial role in amplifying these strategies, while experts and diplomats must align security and diplomacy with real-time global shifts. This conference offers that synergy.”

He said in recognition of outstanding contributions to diplomacy, peacebuilding, national cohesion, and security sector reforms, DICAN will present the prestigious DICAN Award of Excellence to 20 distinguished personalities and institutions who have demonstrated unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s progress and international stature.

Among those to be honoured are:

Former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, for his enduring efforts in peace diplomacy and conflict resolution across Africa;

Retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), for his trailblazing anti-narcotics reforms;

Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, for fostering regional connectivity, crisis evacuation, and supporting national diplomacy through aviation logistics;

The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Nigeria, for its consistent diplomatic engagement and support for bilateral cooperation.

Others on the honour list include top security operatives, humanitarian actors, and institutions whose work has strengthened Nigeria’s international presence and internal security architecture.

The conference, will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, and thought leadership sessions, with prominent speakers including: Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (Chief Host), The Minister of Defence, The Minister of Interior, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS,

The Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Nigeria, Mohamed Fouad,

As well as Nigeria’s Service Chiefs and select heads of foreign missions.

DICAN, as the umbrella body for journalists covering the diplomatic and foreign affairs beats in Nigeria, views this international conference not just as a media initiative, but as a national dialogue to reinforce Nigeria’s place in global diplomacy while confronting existential security challenges.

According to Idehai, “We are living in an era where diplomacy is not just about embassies and bilateral meetings. It is now an essential tool in combating transnational threats, shaping economic development, and projecting national interest. This conference creates that rare space for reflective, inclusive discourse.”
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