Press Release by NIDO-Europe

Posted by admin Headlines, Press Releases Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

COMMUNIQUE | NIGERIAN DIASPORA IN EUROPE RECONSTITUTE ITS BOARD

In its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Brussels, Belgium on Saturday 19 November 2011, the European arm of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation reconstituted its Board of Trustees with Hon. Collins Nweke emerging Chairman of the organisation following a keenly contested election. Incumbent General Secretary, Mr Benson Osawe was reelected. New-comers to the Board are Barrister Efosa Ogieriakhi, a German based lawyer, who becomes the Director of Legal Affairs; a former Manager at the management consultancy firm Ernst & Young, Vincent Okele is based in Brussels from where he would grow and manage the relationship between the organisation and the European Union as well as with other international organisations. A Mechanical Engineer by education, Nosa Kingsley Uwagboe is a former employee of Exxon Mobile Oil where he undertook drilling technology assignments. He is the Assistant General Secretary based in Spain.

“If the Nigerian Diaspora is to contribute to national development as envisioned by Government in conceiving the organisation, then credible leaders who understand management and strategic thinking must mount the stage and bring the organisation to where it ought to be” affirmed Hon. Nweke in his acceptance speech. “I am convinced that the reconstituted Board is the right mix of individuals that can facilitate Nigerian developmental agenda from the Diaspora vantage point. Nigeria needs us now more than ever before to facilitate its efforts at youth employment, investment flow, foreign trade, to name but a few”. He continued “there is the urge and indeed the temptation to take on too many things at the same time considering the plethora of issues bedevilling national development but this team will have to prioritize so that whichever limited aspect of national development agenda we choose to concentrate on, will be handled with depth and professionalism. Nigeria and Nigerians must feel the impact of our interventions” he concluded

Hon. Nweke who is also a Belgian Green Party Councillor for Social Affairs in Ostend City Council was a former General Secretary of NIDO Europe as well as European Union Representative of the organisation. Dr John George, a former Chairman of the organisation, who was a delegate, has this to say: “Collins brings to the Board Chairmanship a unique set of skills and unmatched experience. I’m confident that he’d excel beyond expectations”

In his response to the main discussion at the AGM, General Secretary, Benson Osawe who is a Director at the Council for International Students in Manchester, United Kingdom, expressed the need for a common voice of the global Nigerian Diaspora on issues of national importance such as voting rights for Nigerians in the Diaspora “a global coalition of Nigerians in Diaspora is paramount in demonstrating to our lawmakers at home that Nigeria is the ultimate winner when the mechanisms are put in place for her citizens abroad to vote in elections in Nigeria. This poses no threat to anyone but the leadership of the Nigeria Diaspora must work to put the lawmakers at ease”

The AGM was attended by over 70 delegates of Nigerians in Diaspora in Europe. Representatives of Embassies of Nigeria in Belgium, France, Ukraine, Italy and the Nigeria High Commission in London attended the AGM as observers as well as Election Monitors.

For further enquiries or interview please contact the undersigned.

(signed)

Collins Nweke |Chairman NIDO Europe

Email: chair@nidoeurope.org

Tel. +32 498 345 889.

(signed)

Benson Osawe | General Secretary

Email: secretariat@nidoeurope.org

Tel: +44 7958 299 912

WHO WE ARE

Nigerians in Diaspora Organization Europe (NIDOE) is the European arm of a global Nigerian Diaspora network. Established in the year 2000 and registered in England and Wales in 2002 under the Companies Act, the organization’s Headquarters is in London from where it serves its 18 Regional Chapters in 17 European Countries under the trade name Organisation of All Nigerians in Diaspora.

Membership of the organization is open to all Nigerians, 18 years and above and resident in Europe. Corporate membership is open to all Nigerian professional and community organizations in Europe.

NIDOE provides an umbrella to all Nigerians in Europe. In concert with the other continental arms of NIDO in the Americas, Asia and Africa, the organization is the largest assembly of Nigerians worldwide.

The Government of Nigeria recognizes the organization as the official platform through which individual Nigerian Diaspora and corporate bodies can channel their developmental efforts to Nigeria. In this sense, the organization partners with both public and private businesses in focused areas such as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), professional networking, stakeholder advocacy and skills transfer to Nigeria.

STRUCTURE

The highest organ of NIDOE is the General Assembly made up of members across Europe. The Organization is governed by its Board of Trustees (BoT), who are fit, proper and accomplished individuals drawn from its membership and representing diverse professions. The 18 Regional Chapters are governed by Chapter Executives headed by a Chapter Chairperson. The BoT and Chapter Representatives meet yearly at a Summit to review policy and chart new directions for the organization. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) holds on yearly basis. The organization has an Advisory Board with a mandate to provide advice and counseling to the organization through the Board of Trustees.wp_posts