The Nigerian Diaspora- Strengthening The Model

By

Andrew Onyearu

aokonyearu@googlemail.com

 

25th July 2009 is Diaspora day in Nigeria. Interestingly, Diaspora is a concept that has gained considerable momentum and appreciation over the last two decades.   Stemming from an increased appreciation of the role and involvement that Nigerians outside the country have come to play in the development of Nigeria as a country, the theme of Diaspora has gained significantly better appreciation amongst Nigerians both at home and away. This situation is reflected both in heightened activity in the institutionalisation of Diaspora in governance and also as a focal point for Nigerians within and outside Nigeria with the common thread of living outside Nigeria between all individuals consent.

Diaspora as a concept derives from a feature both of antiquity and significance. The term Diaspora is historically used to denote the Jewish communities living outside the Holy Land.  In its original form, it was a term used to designate the dispersal of Jews at the time of the destruction of the first Temple round about 586 BC and the enforced exile to Babylonia.  In consequence, Diaspora became a permanent feature of Jewish life.  By AD 70, Jewish communities existed in a number of place including Babylonia, Syria, Egypt, Greece and Rome.  It is known that Jews followed the Romans into Europe and spread as far east as China. Modern immigration has seen Jews re-site to the America’s, South Africa and Australia.  Until the 2ndWorld War, the largest Jewish population was in Central and Eastern Europe, designated, as we now know, by the despicable incident of the Holocaust.  Despite the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, the vast majority of Jewish people remain scattered all over the world, especially in North America, Russia and the Ukraine.  It is from this movement that the term “Diaspora” was derived and has been applied to other people with large numbers living outside their traditional homelands.  The term now carries with it religious, philosophical and political connotations of considerable force.

The Nigerian Diaspora movement has been substantial, over the last few years. The Nigerian’s penchant for mobility is legendary.  It is common myth that Nigerians are present in virtually every country in the world, access the most obscure regions, forever seeking both environments of exploits and places to enhance personal and collective objectives.  This is supported by substantial statistical information.  As an example, over 100,000 visa applications are made by Nigerians and received by the United States Embassy in Nigeria every year.  The United Kingdom issues over 30,000 visas every year to Nigerians visiting the United Kingdom. Nigerians relocate abroad at an indescribable rate and have done so over the last 30 years.  The Nigerian attitude to settle and integrate in any environment they find themselves is similarly appreciated.  By our nature, Nigerians are fiercely independent, abound with initiative and historically hard working, attributes that make them welcome in societies where work is available and where development in life is encouraged.  These same attributes make Nigerians correspondingly unwelcome especially in smaller economies because the desire to succeed creates a competitive spirit that is generally unpalatable to sections of the indigenous community who often, even rightly, perceive the development of the Nigerian as a threat to their own progress.   It has come as no surprise that Nigerians have made substantial contributions to the social, economic and political lives of hundreds of countries in the world especially enjoying astounding success in countries such as the United States and Europe.  Indeed, on 11 July 2009, in his much publicised address to the Ghanaian Parliament, speaking about the African Diaspora in the US, President Barrack Obama, referring to the predominantly large degree of success by Africans including Nigerians said that

“...The people of Africa are ready to claim that future. In my country, African-Americans — including so many recent immigrants — have thrived in every sector of society. We have done so despite a difficult past, and we have drawn strength from our African heritage. With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams in Nairobi and Lagos; in Kigali and Kinshasa; in Harare and right here in Accra”.

In doing so, Nigerians abroad have always maintained a unique connection with home.  Initially established by the need to sustain contact with family at home, this connection has grown into the provision of support such that it has become an identifiable contributor to the economic development of Nigeria.  Familiar statistics are abound about how much remittances Nigerians make back home reaching astronomical figures running into several billion dollars.  Nigeria alone accounts for about 15 % of the UK’s £6billon remittance traffic to developing countries, competing with highly successful and populous economies like India.  This situation has led to a surge of initiatives in the creation of remittance products amongst financial institutions other than the cash-to-cash money transfer processes in existence.  Funds that have been remitted have helped stabilise foreign exchange demand; create opportunities for employment; support families on a day to day basis and improve health and education facilities. Effectively, the extended family relationship has mutated into a unique, clearly defined support mechanism beyond the borders of Nigeria.

Aside from the familiar clichés about the Diaspora and its value to the development of the home country, what really are the key issues that are required to be addressed in order to strengthen and improve the Diaspora relationship with Nigeria?  In no situation has this become more prominent than in the judicial examination of the entitlement of Nigerians abroad to participate in the electoral process.  By an action in the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja initiated by a number of Nigerians including Hakeem Bello, Bolaji Aluko, Baba Adam, Uzoma Onyemaechi all Nigerians residing abroad, they sought, amongst a number of other remedies, declaratory reliefs that Nigerians abroad were entitled to participate in the governance  of Nigeria by voting for candidates of their choice and that those Nigerians were qualified for registration as voters by virtue of Articles 13 (1) of the African  Charter of Human and Peoples Rights and section 13 (1)(c) of the Electoral Act 2006 as well as sections 77, 117, 132 and 178 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  In a decision of Mr Justice Adamu Bello of 18 December 2008, the Court agreed that the plaintiffs in that case were entitled to the reliefs that they were seeking.  Quite critically, the Judge observed that the plaintiffs in that case were citizens of Nigeria who were entitled to participate in the Government of Nigeria.  Although going on to further qualify that participation by restricting his interpretation to participating in the electoral process to vote and be voted for any elective office in Nigeria, there is no reason why this aspect of the decision cannot apply to any other part of governance in Nigeria.  In effect therefore, there is judicial endorsement of the constitutional entitlement of the Nigerian in Diaspora to direct participation.

 

It seems plainly evident that although the right to  enfranchisement is one of the key aspects of involvement in governance, the greater interest of Nigerians in Diaspora will be served by more direct participation.  In my view, the Nigerians in Diaspora can be strengthened by, amongst other feature, establishment of the Diaspora Commission which is very much in discussion at present and will give executive “bite” to achieving this objective.  Going further, the creation of electoral constituencies in key areas where Nigerians reside, particularly in the US, Canada, UK and Europe so that these constituencies produce directly elected members who participate in the National Assembly in Nigeria should not seem remote. Doing so will create immediate and direct constituencies for those who are elected; will create direct representative voice for those abroad and will obviate the need for those in Diaspora to see return home as the only means of direct participation.  This audacious step will require a change of several laws,  phenomenon that will, no doubt be attended by the traditional exigencies of “Nigerianness”.  Perhaps much more easily attainable would be allocation of ministerial and executive positions to Nigerians in Diaspora, just in the same way as positions are allocated along party lines or zoned in accordance with identified parameters.   

The recurring principle is that Nigerians in the Diaspora should not need to return to Nigeria and integrate into the existing process in order to be allowed the right to participate in governance.  The theory in support of this is exactly the same that underpinned the decision of Mr Justice Bello in granting the reliefs for the plaintiffs in that case were seeking.  Put another way, the sheer size of the Nigerian presence outside – in some cases comprising a broader and more populous aggregation of Nigeria than several states in country – should suffice to lend credence to this entitlement.  As we consider and evaluate the benefits and balance of the Nigerian Diaspora, it is envisaged that the debate, very soon, should engage these and other similar issues.

 

To draw greater strength from the huge reservoir that is the Nigerian in Diaspora, government has to be more directly proactive and open minded about the use to which it puts Nigerians living outside the country.  It seems unfair and unsupportable that Nigerians abroad should have to return to Nigeria, often at great personal destruction and expense, in order to end the right to participate in nation buildings.  That, at present, is currently the direction and the distortion that this presents in division of those who are bold and brave enough to make the sacrifice is, in many ways, responsible for some of the destruction that Nigerians in the Diaspora face when they elect to return to Nigeria.