Ms. Daphné Bouteillet-Paquet, the IOM Belgium, Project Lead for The Migration of African Talents through Capacity building and Hiring (MATCH) has commended the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM), for the supportive, positive and corrective feedback to help evaluate the outcome of the Project.
Bouteillet-Paquet, who led a delegation of IOM Belgium staff, stated this during a review meeting to the Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. (Dr) Abike Dabiri-Erewa in Abuja.
She stated that the MATCH project is a 36- month initiative which kicked off on the 31st of January, 2020 and is funded by the European Union (EU) aimed at providing highly skilled talents to private sector companies whose needs for qualified staff cannot be satisfied by the offer available on the EU labour market.
The Project Lead added that this has enabled young graduates from Nigeria and Senegal to work for companies in four EU member states.
She noted that as applicants register on MATCH, companies from Belgium, italy, The Netherlands and Luxembourg will be supported with the sourcing and recruiting of African talents from Senegal and Nigeria.
The scheme, according to her, is aimed at upscaling young migrants’ skills and increasing their employability, while addressing EU labour market shortages and contributing, in the longer term, to the development of Nigeria and Senegal.
Bouteillet-Paquet stressed that the project has implemented complementary activities such as skills development, capacity building and knowledge sharing between the participating EU and African countries.
The IOM Belgium Project lead expressed the importance to have proper evaluation and feedback to help in the next project, as the first project will be ending in December, 2022.
Receiving the delegation, (Dr) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NiDCOM), says pre-departure seminars and capacity building trainings should be held for applicants of the MATCH project.
Represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Engr. Dr. Sule Yakubu Bassi, stated this during the review meeting.
Bassi equally stressed that the recruiting of Nigerian talents should not be a one way street, but must be beneficial to the country of origin and a bilateral labour agreement should be created.
He, however, suggested that a Memorandum of Understanding be drafted for approval of parties concerned.
Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has joined others in pleading with the UK government to show leniency with former Nigeria Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu awaiting the verdict of the court on organ harvesting.
EKWEREMADU
In a statement by Abdur-Rahman Balogun Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of NIDCOM in Abuja, she pleaded with the court to show compassion and sympathy in this case
” I join men and women of goodwill to plead for clemency for Sen. Ike Ekweremadu , if only even considering the psychological trauma, Sonia , the daughter, would be going through knowing that her parents are in jail because they tried to save her from a health condition she had no control over”, Dabiri-Erewa pleaded.
Dabiri-Erewa who reiterated her pleas, implored the UK government to temper justice with mercy, admitted that “mistakes have been made , and lessons learnt”.
The NIDCOM boss posited that though there is no ignorance before the law, Ekweremadu and his wife acted under natural instincts of parents to save an ailing daughter, and not for commercial purposes
The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Shri Gangandharanian Balasubramanian has honored Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), for her excellent contributions to Nigeria Diaspora especially women in the area of rescue and rehabilitation, supporting democracy and legislative reforms by enabling laws in favour of freedom and non-violence.
The Indian High Commissioner stated this when He conferred the Honor on the NIDCOM Boss in Abuja, during the celebration of some Nigerian Women Achievers and the launch of Indian Women Association, Abuja Chapter.
Balasubramanian added that every woman is an achiever in all aspects of their lives and this year ‘s celebration is to recognize few wonderful achievers both in India and Nigeria. He is certain that this tradition will continue as an annual event in the years to come.
Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa expressed her gratitude to the Indian High Commission for honoring her amongst the very few Nigerian Women. She added that NiDCOM will continue to strengthen ties between Nigerian-Indian Diaspora and the Global Diaspora.
The NiDCOM boss highlighted the contributory roles of women to National Development. According to her, “ as a woman, one has to work three times harder, because your mistakes are more noticeable but as a woman I am grateful for men who support and recognize the efforts of women who are blazing the trail across all sectors of the economy”.
She concluded that the Indian Diaspora is a powerful force to its National Development and promise to do same with the Nigerian Diaspora to fast track Nigeria’s technological advancement.
The Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia will demand full investigation into the circumstances that led to the death.of a Nigerian, Chizoba Favor Eze ,in Ethiopian Prison.
Abike-Dabiri
Reacting to the reported death of Chizobia Eze, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/ CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) said the Commission is in contact with the Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia and the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident will be thoroughly looked into.
She expressed concern over the reported conditions of some Nigerians, serving various jail terms in Ethiopia, most of whom were drug related.
She also said the Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia has proposed an MOU from the Nigerian Correctional Service on transfer of sentenced persons to Nigeria with the Ethiopian authorities to complete their respective jail terms in Nigeria, and are awaiting a response from Ethiopia , adding that though Ethiopia had granted an amnesty to Nigerian Prisoners in 2019 , a number of them still found their way back to the country and allegedly still committed the same drug related crimes and were re- arrested.
The NIDCOM boss sent her deepest condolences to the family of Chizoba, who was said to have died in Kaliti Prison , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on sunday March 12, 2023 following an alleged physical aggression.