Like many who came to study in the UK in the 80s, the expectation and indeed the convention was to return to Nigeria to find employment. I was no exception to this rule and duly returned if only for a brief period in 1985 after completing first and masters degrees in law. At the time Nigeria was in the grip of military rule and my boss the late chief Gani Fawehinmi, human rights campaigner and activist was at the forefront of a campaign against the excesses of the then military government. I ‘checked out’ in 1989 as the country’s fortunes declined , however little did I know that things would get much worse and that the excesses of the military rule would pale into insignificance when compared to what was to come under subsequent civilian administrations. Twenty odd years in the diaspora and I feel drawn to my great country once again. The new government holds much promise and I feel, as I suspect do many in the disapora, that this is the time to make a contribution.
My expectations of the new government are the same as those of many Nigerians – stable power , security ,good infrastructure, and good governance to name a few.
Beyond these, I would like to see the new government foster a climate that actively encourages some of the many of the Nigerians in diaspora to return to Nigeria to put to use their skills, talents and expertise. It should not be a big ask to create such a climate. It is about creating a culture where merit is rewarded and cronyism and god fatherism are shunned, where openness and accountability are the order of the day, where people go into government to ‘serve’ the people and not themselves, where crime is punished and justice prevails and where all are equal before the law. It is about good functioning schools with high standards of education fit for the modern world, It is about good leadership that manages our collective wealth whilst creating opportunities for employment/growth and improves the lives of all Nigerians and not just the privileged few. It is about guaranteeing the safety and security of all our people irrespective of tribe or tongue, …. it is about things we take for granted in the developed world.
Some of the above can be achieved in the short term and others longer term but this government cannot afford to ignore Nigerians in the diaspora and the human capital that they could contribute to making our great country even greater and regaining her title ‘Giant of Africa’, a task in which we all have a part to play.
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