August 19, (THEWILL) — The Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Memmet Poroy, has proposed a partnership between the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and Turkey’s Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities to strengthen diaspora relations.
According to a statement by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols at NiDCOM, Poroy made the proposal during a strategic meeting with the Commission’s Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in Abuja.
The envoy highlighted the active involvement of the Turkish diaspora in politics and governance across Europe, noting that about 7.5 million Turks live abroad, with 6.5 million based in Europe and significant communities in the United States.
Poroy, who expressed interest in studying the Nigerian diaspora experience, commended NiDCOM for its efforts in collating demographic statistics through the diaspora portal.
He said an understudy would help Turkey improve its diaspora engagement strategies.
In her remarks, Dabiri-Erewa underscored the similarities between both countries’ diaspora communities and spoke about the NiDCOM Diaspora Registration Portal, designed to enhance communication, support, and policy planning for Nigerians abroad.
She also outlined the Commission’s flagship initiatives, including the Diaspora Investment Summit, National Diaspora Day, and the Diaspora Merit Awards, which highlight achievements of Nigerians abroad and encourage their contributions to national development.
Dabiri-Erewa further called for urgent interventions to address challenges faced by Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus.
In response, Ambassador Poroy suggested engaging the Embassy of Northern Cyprus in Turkey and pledged to facilitate dialogue.
Both sides agreed to deepen collaboration and share best practices in diaspora policy, with Poroy expressing Turkey’s readiness to host a Nigerian delegation for future engagements.
The meeting ended with Dabiri-Erewa presenting the Ambassador with Nigeria’s National Diaspora Policy and materials from previous National Diaspora Day and Merit Awards.
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