From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Nigerian Diaspora Organisation (NiDO-Worldwide), has called on the Federal Government to strengthen its foreign missions to improve Nigeria’s position in global passport ranking.
The Coordinating Chairman of NiDO Worldwide, Dr Victor Ubani, gave the advice in a telephone interview , stressing that although the world’s passports were not equal, such an overhaul could strengthen the nation’s international relations.
He commended the government’s efforts to upgrade the e-passport processing regime, adding that more needs to be done to pave the way for Nigerians to enjoy travel freedom, promote the country’s interests abroad, and reposition Nigeria’s ranking among countries with low passport regime.
According to him, the government’s allocation of N53 billion for the renovation of 103 foreign missions could significantly improve the nation’s diplomatic presence worldwide.
He noted that the measures would help address the issues of Nigeria’s low-ranking passport, which is subject to stringent visa restrictions imposed by wealthy countries to curb unwanted immigration.
Ubani said: “A facelift of Nigeria travel passports to match international standards, similar to those of developed nations, would enable citizens to travel to not less than 30 to 40 countries.
“The foreign missions should work more closely with NiDO-Worldwide to tackle issues surrounding the image of Nigerian passports and ensure Nigerians are portrayed positively abroad.
“Even though we are not being portrayed as good citizens, 90 percent of Nigerians living outside the country are good citizens. Unfortunately, one bad apple can sometimes tarnish the image of the entire Nigerian diaspora.
“This is where the government or the missions should intervene. Almost on a daily basis, you hear news of Nigerians achieving greatness globally, so one bad apple should not be used to label every Nigerian bad,” he appealed
The Coordinating Chairman further asserts that, “We cannot defend ourselves alone, we have foreign missions; therefore they need to make them more functional to uplift the image of Nigeria globally.
“We need the government to work more closely with us, to tackle issues about Nigerians abroad, who do things that portray Nigerian passports in bad light.
“If we all portray a good image of Nigeria by showing good examples, the greater our country will become,” he prayed.
He however explained that NiDO-Worldwide is a global organisation dedicated to promoting unity and empowering Nigerians at home and abroad.