By Sunny Ikhioya
NIGERIANS are found all over the world. We must be one of the greatest migratory people on planet earth. Added to this is our acclaimed intelligence in almost every field of human endeavour; for there is always a Nigerian ranking very high up in one field or the other somewhere in the world. Unfortunately,inspite of this truth, the perception is that we have used our intelligence more on the negative than the positive.

I wish all of those energies being exerted by our 419ners and internet fraudsters are channelled towards positive creativity, we would be amongst the top ranked developed nations by now.

Nigerians travel and their impact are felt anywhere they find themselves. A recent news survey reported that Nigerians are second only to India in the amount of money repatriated back home by immigrants. The Indians are very well known, they never leave behind a penny anywhere they find themselves, all monies are repatriated home but the case of Nigeria is a very interesting one.

Nigerians in diaspora send home money to loved ones, friends and for business and property investments. I am sure the naira position would have been worse than it is presently if the money from Nigerians abroad are not factored in. To that extent, our diasporans have been very helpful to the Nigerian economy. But, is this all that we can get from them?

This question is now a bother has one watch world events unfold. Much as the world is becoming a global village, with the internet and changing technologies, you discover that nations are striving harder towards self sufficiency, every nation is trying to depend less on others for their survival and that is the driving thrust of their researches and developments. The Americans have said tiem and again that they needed to depend less on foreign oil through improved technologies. President Barack Obama used it as one of his anchor campaign focus and today, America has greatly reduced on its crude oil import, leaving oil producing countries like Nigeria floating.

Recently, the country needed special equipments to prosecute the insurgency battle but met stiff resistance from America and her allies who refused to sell. We cannot be a sovereign nation if we still depend on other countries for basic needs of survival and this is the point I am trying to make with our diasporans.

Have we truly utilized the over abundance of Nigerian talents and professionals covering all the nations of the earth? Do the external affairs ministry and intelligence agencies have a comprehensive list of people of Nigerian descent, all over the world, that can be useful in the core need areas of Nigeria? Development and technology blue prints are not available for free. They are received through negotiations, espionage or out right stealing. America and China have had protracted conflicts over the years because of issues pertaining to property and intellectual rights. Sometimes, there is deliberate hacking to get out information. That is the cause of the present cyber wars. Where is Nigeria in all of these? Every single male Israeli is a reservist and a spy for his country, no matter where he finds himself. Presently, Aljazeera news media is investigating the theft of missile blue prints stolen from South Africa by the Israelis, through the link of an Israeli living in South Africa. The whole world now knows through wikileaks that every American embassy is a spy link for their government, how the ambassadors manipulate key government officials to reveal vital information. In international politics, there are no morals, the country’s interest comes first, even if thousands of death are involved, like it is happening in Ukraine, Libya, Syria, Iraq and the rest. The Indians, Chinese, Iranians and many other countries have also joined the spy network. Unfortunately, apart from South Africa, every other African country is a mere guinea pig for the so called friendly/partnership nations.

I ask again, where do our diasporans fit into this? It is not only to criticize everything about country and home that makes one feel good, one must think of bringing the country at par with the advanced nations one is domicile in. Every developed country today, once experienced hardship and deprivations. During the great industrial revolution, Great Britain was a mess in terms of human rights records, but people made great sacrifice to get those societies to the level they are today. The challenge of our diasporans is to replicate at home, whatever standards they see and enjoy abroad. No place is like home, no matter how hard one tries to make it home. Even our officials who travel are orderly when they are abroad but immediately they step their feet on the Nigerian soil, disorder sets in, the big man syndrome begins to manifest, the noise and bedlam is what we experience.

It is time for Nigeria to leave the present level. We have the resources and the human capital, our foreign ministry must begin to network , identify Nigerians wherever they are, tap into their potentials, arrange regular meetings and exchange ideas with them.

Space technology, aerodynamics, nuclear physics and engineering, IT communications engineering, nano technology, biotech, medicine, science and arts, etc, Nigerians are excelling all over the world, let us bring their influence to bear in the development of our country.

Some will say that they will be frustrated out when they come but it depends on the persons representing us and doing the selling, people like Okonjo Iweala came home and are still home.

Let us create a special department for that in the presidency or attached to the ministry of external affairs, with special budget created for its implementation. Our diasporans are too important to be left alone.

They can even form pressure groups for good and effective governance, not the very partisan type that we have now.

In the US, the Jewish community is very influential. In fact, all over the world, Jewish influence is felt. This is the picture that I crave for our diasporans.