By Kayode Adebiyi

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has stated that Nigeria’s foreign policy thrust under President Bola Tinubu’s administration has boosted the country’s credibility globally.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu made this statement while delivering her keynote address at the 2025 National Diaspora Merit Awards and Dinner in Abuja on Saturday.

The awards and dinner were part of activities to mark the 2025 National Diaspora Day (NDD) celebration.

The minister also stated that more Nigerians abroad are excelling in medicine, technology, and various other fields, thereby strengthening Nigeria’s ties with other nations.

“Across the globe, Nigerians are making their mark; from the hospitals to tech hubs and boardrooms across the world, they are portraying our nation’s capacity and excellence,” she said.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) for its impact since its establishment and for recognising Nigerians doing well abroad, which serves as a motivation to others.

She said Nigeria’s foreign missions “are being repositioned to better and more efficiently serve Nigerians in the diaspora.

“Our missions abroad, with the support of the ministry, now provide efficient services and measures to protect and defend lawful Nigerians in the diaspora.”

She congratulated awardees and advised them to continue to be worthy ambassadors of the country.

Earlier, the Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, welcomed guests to the event and urged more private sector participation in the National Diaspora Day events.

Dabiri-Erewa cited Arco Group, an indigenous oil and gas servicing company, for becoming the first private sector organisation to sponsor a category at the awards.

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Mr Abiodun Akanbi, said that this year’s large turnout of Nigerians in the diaspora testified to the great movement that NDD had become.

“The diaspora phenomenon is a low-hanging fruit which, if well harnessed, can be a catalyst for national development,” he said.

The Secretary to NiDCOM, Dr Sule Bassi, gave an overview of NDD and the National Diaspora Merit Awards.

According to him, one of the objectives of the awards is to celebrate Nigerians that have contributed to the development of the country even while living abroad.

He also said the celebrations served as a tool for changing negative narratives about the image of Nigeria and Nigerians.

One of the awardees, Mrs Voke Ogueh, a U.S.-based STEM educator, mentor, and digital transformation consultant, said she felt honoured to be recognised back home.

Ogueh expressed the desire to inspire more Nigerians.

She said no investment in human capital development would remain unrewarded.

She expressed gratitude to the organisers and sponsors of NDD and merit awards.

Arcos’s Managing Director of Maintenance of Engineering, Mr Michael Okoigun, said the company took the initiative to sponsor a category of the awards because of its firm belief that Nigeria’s diaspora population had a crucial role to play in the country’s development.

“It is not going to be easy, but we need to bring back our best brains to contribute to national development. We need to be industrialised, that is why we are leading by example,” he said.

Day 2 of the 2025 National Diaspora Day started with NiDCOM’s Youth Empowerment Summit, where President Tinubu acknowledged the significant contributions of over 20 million Nigerians in diaspora to national development.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, the president pledged greater collaboration through enabling policies, programmes, and strategic partnerships. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim