By Victor Gotevbe & Vera Samuel Anyagafu
AMBASSADOR Geoffrey Teneilabe is the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Atlanta, with jurisdiction over 17 Southeastern States of the United States of America.

Prior to his assumption of duty in Atlanta as Consul General, he was  respectively the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President and the President of Nigeria on International Relations/Audience. Recently, he had a chat with Vanguard wherein he shared about his relationship with Nigerians under his jurisdiction, strategies to attract US investment to Nigeria, AGOA and plans to set up the Nigerian Diaspora Diagnostic and Trauma Centre.

WHICH are the States under your jurisdiction?

As a Consulate, we cover 17 States and territory mainly in the south east and the Gulf regions of the United States. These include the State of Georgia, North & South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas, West Virginia, New Mexico, and the territory of Puerto Rico. It is an area with a population of over 120 million people and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of over $4.2 trillion.

Geoffrey Teneilabe

We have the highest concentration of Nigerians within the Consular District with a population of over 500,000 Nigerians. Houston has the highest concentration of Nigerians, followed by cities like Dallas, Atlanta, San Antonio, Miami, Raleigh, Charlotte, etc.

Of the States under your jurisdiction, from which State do you receive the most requests for Consular assistance?

As I mentioned earlier, the state of Texas has the biggest concentration of Nigerians and, naturally, that is where the highest number of Consular assistance emanates.

Financial assistance

These requests are varied and include financial assistance to Nigerian organizations, assistance for burial or repatriation of bodies of deceased Nigerians, financial assistance to Nigerian students, consular assistance for Nigerians in prison in respect of inadequate justice about their cases, etc.

Does your office provide legal assistance to Nigerians in deportation proceedings?

We would have loved to, but considering the expensive nature of justice in the United States, we can only manage administrative assistance in terms of ensuring that justice is done in every issue of detention and trial including deportation proceedings since we don’t have funds for the purpose.

How would you describe your relationship with Nigerians under your jurisdiction?

The Consulate-General maintains excellent relationship with Nigerian communities within its Consular jurisdiction. Not only did we try to take care of the welfare of Nigerians and attend to their needs particularly with reference to the issuance of visas, passport, travel documents, authentication of documents, issuance of documents for bodies of deceased Nigerians, and other necessary requirements but we also maintain close contact with the various Nigerian associations if memberships are open to all Nigerians irrespective of ethnicity and creed.

Sometimes we also render modest financial assistance to such associations in the course of their annual events or when they are raising funds for projects. Such associations include but are not limited to the Nigerians in Diaspora Association (NIDO), Alliance of Nigerian Organisations of Georgia (ANOG), the Nigerian Women Association of Georgia (NWAG), Nigerian Youth Alliance (NYA) and so on. Similarly, we sometimes make our facilities available to some of these associations relating to the provision of our Reception Halls and other rooms for their meetings and work with them to host visiting Nigerian dignitaries invited to grace occasions hosted by them.

In addition, we make it a point to attend their events as a way of giving such events pride of place and credibility in the perception of the American public. Moreover, we are currently working with the Nigerian community to establish the Nigerian Diaspora Diagnostic and Trauma Centre, bringing all Nigerians in the Diaspora to contribute to its establishment in Nigeria as a monument of their contribution towards the healthcare system in their fatherland.

Medical treatment

Nigerians spend over $1bn a year seeking medical treatments overseas and any contribution towards redressing this situation can only be in the right direction. We have so far hosted all the meetings-renting the venue, providing launch and sometimes media coverage and today the Nigerian Diaspora Diagnostic and Trauma Foundation has been formed, while a major fundraising for the project is scheduled for March 21, 2015.

Do you have statistics of Nigerians living in States under your jurisdiction?

As mentioned, we have the highest concentration of Nigerians in the United States within our consular jurisdiction. They number more than 500,000 but this figure ought to be updated. I believe the number would be more than that as Houston alone is expected to host not less than 250,000 especially if the new generations of Nigerians born in the United States are added. It is why they could influence votes and Congressmen and others running for offices could pay attention to them as a group.

Do you have any action plan for attracting US investment to Nigeria?

Yes indeed, because today Nigeria’s Foreign Policy is itched on Economic Diplomacy. The Nigerian economy needs to be diversified from its mono-economic nature. It is not healthy that we spend about $10bn or more importing refined petroleum products; $4bn importing motor vehicles and spare parts and over $4bn importing food, etc. We must be able to produce what is possible to be produced in Nigeria. On this note, it has been recognized all over the world that the private sector is the engine of growth and production and investors are the facilitators in the private sector for productivity.

Ambassador Geoffrey Teneilabe and Victor Gotevbe Vanguard’s Admin Manager

Therefore, every Nigerian diplomatic mission has a mission statement to attract investment to Nigeria which could translate into job creation, technological transfer, capital transfer, skills transfer and general economic development of the country. In this regard, we hold seminars and conferences on topical issues to bring American investors and Nigerians together, with a view to sensitising them on the investment prospects as well as incentives and opportunities available in the country. We create such platforms and match-making every year and this year will not be an exception.

To what extent in your opinion has the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) impacted on the Nigerian economy?

By my own assessments, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has not impacted much on the Nigerian economy as compared to other countries like Ghana, Senegal, Mauritius, Madagascar, among others.   This is because of two major factors: one is because Nigeria has not taken full advantage of these opportunities as other countries, partly because of our sense of comfort as a result of easy money derived from oil and gas. Another are the impediments and obstacles being put by the United States authorities relating to export of certain products from Nigeria into the United States under the scheme.

Nigeria should step up efforts and take full advantage of the provision of the programme now that the mantra is the diversification of the economy from its mono-economic nature of crude oil production and export. Every extra dollar earned from other sectors would be important.