BY BEN AGANDE

ABUJA-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, Tuesday, said the lack of a data base of Nigerians in the Diaspora in the ministry was a result of paucity of funds at its disposal.

The minister, who spoke when he led a team of ministry officials to an interactive session with the House Committee on Diaspora, however, said all the country’s missions abroad had been mandated to keep a data base of Nigerians living within their missions who made themselves available to be captured.

The minister said having a correct data of the Nigerians in Diaspora was central to the economic diplomacy of the Federal Government which is poised to harness the huge diaspora population as strategically vital economic and political assets.

“We have told our Missions to have a data on all the Nigerians in their regions. We need funds. We have data individually in the Missions, so when the issue comes before your committee, you will have to look at that.

“Across the world today, there is increasing awareness amongst countries of the potential of their Diaspora population as vehicles for poverty reduction, development and economic growth. This has triggered initiatives to collect date and to reach out to Diaspora groups in various countries and regions,” he said.

On the issue of dual citizenship for Nigerians, the Minister said he had nothing against the practice, noting that the constitution guaranteed Nigerians born abroad to retain the citizenship of the country of their birth if they so wished.

He appealed to the Committee to facilitate the establishment of the Diaspora Commission in order to guide the ministry in the formulation of policies that would guide it in the relationship with Diaspora population.

Earlier in her remarks, the chairman of the committee, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa emphasized the neet for a synergy between the ministry and her committee to create a  Nigerian policy on its citizens in Diaspora.

She said: “we know the issue of database is a big problem, but must also have a constructively written policy that we can follow. We have an annual Diaspora Day in some countries which is just a jamboree. The question is how do we work with the Nigerians in the Diaspora for positive development in the country?” she said.