May 5, 2018

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, on Saturday  said that Nigerians would move the country forward only when united.

Dabiri-Erewa made the assertion while delivering  a lecture she delivered at the Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates’ Association (UNIFEMGA) 2018 National Reunion Conference  in  Ile-Ife.

The topic of the lecture is : “ Leveraging The Diaspora: Opportunities For The Muslim Ummah.’’

According to her, the challenges facing Nigeria are enormous in terms of health, education, security and socio-economic hardship.

” But individually,  we must contribute our quota to the growth and development of the country as we have no other country than Nigeria.

“Nigerians in Diaspora are doing fantastically well in their chosen professions and they are making us proud, we have to be good ambassador of our country.

“We are working very hard to ensure Diaspora Commission is established which will facilitate  exchange of programmes  between the home country and our Diasporans in all areas of human endeavour,’’ the president’s aide said.

Dabiri-Erewa also said  that the  Buhari-led government was making  efforts to curb the menace of xenophobia  in South Africa.

The Chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Abdulfattah  Amoo,  commended the association for the annual scholarship given to students over the years.

“You are intervening in one of the challenges facing students and  contributing your quota to the development of education in Nigeria,” he said.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, National Council of Nigerian Muslim Organisations (NCNMO), North America, Alhaji Marshal Sulayman, said that what was needed most was mentorship of  students.

According to him, there is no difference between  students   in Nigeria and those outside the country.

Also speaking at the event, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi,  who was represented by the Loodoko Adimula of Ife Kingdom, Chief Oluwole Bode-Thomas, lauded the scholarship scheme of UNIFEMGA.

Adeyeye promised to partner with the association in terms of empowerment and scholarship awards.

In his goodwill message, the Vice-Chancellor of the university,  Prof. Eyitope Ogunnbodede, commended  UNIFEMGA for  its  award of scholarship and  hostel accommodation.

” Our desire  is to admit  more students although we can’t  due to limited facilities, ” he said.

Earlier in his  address of welcome, Alhaji Abdulwaheed Odeyinka, the National President of  UNIFEMGA,  said  he was highly elated to disburse scholarship to the tune of N4.5million to 79 students for year 2018.

He said the association had so far awarded scholarship  with a total value of N31.2 million to 556 students .

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the guest-speaker is the first female alumnus of the institution to deliver the annual lecture in the over 30 years of the UNIFEMGA Re-Union Conference.