FG ADDRESSING CHALLENGES CONFRONTING NIGERIA STUDENTS IN DIASPORA-TINUBU 07-08-24
By Sadiq Aminu President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed his readiness to address all the challenges Nigerians studying abroad are facing, thus enhacing their well-being and in line with his citizen diplomacy policy.
Tinubu reiterated this reassurance during the fourth Diaspora quarterly webinar lecture series hosted by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) with the theme as ” Well-being of Nigeria Students Abroad: (Struggles, Challenges and Solutions).”
The President was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Student Engagement, Mr.
Asefon Dayo, and in attendance were the NIDCOM Chairman Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar and Brig. General Yushau Ahmed, the Director General of NYSC.
Responding to some of the issues raised by the students, Mr. Dayo admitted that President Bola Tinubu was aware of challenges students are facing abroad and the government is working to ameliorate it.
Dayo also urged the students to create more platforms to discuss and address these challenges and for their leaders to escalate the situations to the appropriate authorities.
The Chairman Nigerians in Diaspora Commission NiDCOM Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, noted that the non payment of obligatory fees to students on scholarship abroad has been a recurring decimal which has to be permanently sorted.
In his contributions, the Registrar,Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, assured the students that the Board would continue to guide the students especially on the choice of institutions of learning abroad as well as courses offered.
On reabsorption of some returning students in Nigeria higher institutions, he counselled the students to avail themselves with the guidelines especially in line with Arusha declaration which stipulates that returning students cannot be fixed in more than second year in the home institutions.
The DG, NYSC, Brig.Gen. Yushau Ahmed represented by Mr Omotade Folorunso described the webinar as a great opportunity to interface with the students addressing their well-being as a national imperative for securing a brighter future for Nigeria as a whole.
Earlier, the President of National Association of Nigerian Students NANS-Diaspora, Comrade Juwon Ojo Fayomi, who listed some of the challenges being faced by students abroad, appreciated the management of NiDCOM for being responsive and quick to intervene towards the plights of the Nigerian students in the Diaspora.
In his presentation, the Coordinator of Nigeria Students Union UK Mr. Yemi Soile highlighted some of the challenges being faced by Nigeria students abroad which need government urgent attention.
Contributing to the discussion, the President Network of Nigerians in Canada Mr. Uche Okugo, appealed to the government to assist the students as the challenges were overwhelming to them.
Prof. Hakeem Tijani of Morgan State University, US, applauded NIDCOM for hosting the webinar and the quality of the stakeholders invited to address issues.
Tijani, however, advised the students to think outside the box and not to put all their challenges on government, expressing his willingness to mentor them on how to weather the storm in a foreign country.
Students who joined the meeting across the globe raised several questions and concerns about non regular payment of their scholarships, NYSC registration, Professional Body Examinations/registration, racial discrimination, passport and consular matters and other issues affecting their academic pursuit abroad which was adequately handled by the relevant stakeholders.