By Fortune Abang/Funmilayo Adeyemi

The Federal Government has inaugurated the maiden Diaspora BRIDGE, a digital hub initiative, to bolster the partnership in education, research and innovation between diaspora academics, and Nigerian tertiary institutions.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima while inaugurating the initiative, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Education on Monday in Abuja, said it would target universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and research centres across Nigeria.

Shettima, represented by Sen. Ibrahim Hassan, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, said BRIDGE would help to advance partnership in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEM-M)

He said: “BRIDGE is a bold campaign crafted to reconnect, re-align and re-engineer the power of Nigerian intellects and expertise around the world.

“For too long, the collaboration between Nigerian professionals and our brothers and sisters in the diaspora has been fragmented by distance, bureaucracy, and perhaps most critically by a lack of trust.

“Today, too, we have laid the foundation to repair that trust through deliberate efforts, transparency and inclusivity.”

The Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, said the BRIDGE offered more than a passive nod to education as the single most important sector tthat Nigeria’s socio-economic fate depends.

“For years, understanding the role of Nigerian diaspora was mostly via basic economic lines of remittances. What was lacking was a formal platform where their expertise and collective financial part could be hosted.

“Today, we take the first step towards that goal under the banner of the Diaspora BRIDGE, convened by the visionary Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa,” Mbah said.

In his keynote address, Alausa, explained that the BRIDGE would be a national framework to reconnect and reinvest Nigeria’s future through its most powerful resource, citizenry.

“The Diaspora BRIDGE, means Bridging Research, Innovation, Development and Global Engagement, is designed to create structured, meaningful engagement between our institutions and Nigerians in Diaspora.

“For decades, we watched the migration of many talented doctors, engineers, scientists, researchers and teachers, who now lead and contribute to growth of most advanced institutions globally.

“With BRIDGE, we are no longer asking if they can come back, but how we can enable their knowledge and contributions enrich our institutions even from afar,” Alausa said.

The Minister of State, Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, said the inauguration of the BRIDGE marked a new chapter on proper ways government could engage Nigerians in diaspora.

“This initiative is a product of strong ministerial collaboration, especially between the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and other partners,” she said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, noted that the BRIDE was timely, adding that the initiative aligned perfectly with the President Bola Tinubu’s 4-Gs, which centere on Democracy, Demography, Development and Diaspora.

Tuggar said, “The Diaspora Bridge provides an opportunity for us to continue to benefit from the advancements in technology and education at home by way of remote learning.”

Prof. Muhammad Pate, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, commended the initiative by the Ministry of Education, saying it would not only build bridges, but also deepen trust among various groups.

“It will foster innovation and ease collaboration among various sectors of the economy in carrying out shared responsibility, and making Nigeria greater, in line with President Tinubu’s vision,” Pate said.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Mr Geoffrey Nnaji, said Nigerians should be laid back in an era of growing global challenges, urging compatriots in the diaspora to key into the initiative.

“The BRIDGE provides a platform for global integration, from vantage point of science and technology, aligns perfectly to build thriving education economy and industrialising Nigeria through strategic partnerships,” Nnaji said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the BRIDGE provides a platform for Nigerian scholars and professionals abroad to register as collaborators by submitting their credentials and indicate their areas of expertise.

The system is also designed to match diaspora expertise with local institutions based on identified needs, enabling seamless and targeted collaborations align with the country’s broader development goals.

The event which attracted the governors of Plateau and Kaduna, represented by the their deputies, featured remarks by stakeholders in the diaspora and education sectors. (NAN)

Edited by Mark Longyen