President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigerians living abroad to shift their mindset towards success and consider returning to Nigeria to settle down.
The president made this appeal during a presidential town hall meeting with Nigerians in the diaspora held in New York on Wednesday.
The event, organized by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), took place on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
Tinubu stated the need for a change in mindset and urged Nigerians to embrace the abundant business opportunities available in the country.
“I want to give you a measure that will resonate with you. I was once a diaspora. What you have been through, I have been through it. A change of mindset is necessary,” Tinubu said.
“Take it this night that Nigeria is home for business opportunities. Also, anywhere you stay, there is always going to be an opportunity in, and in everything you do. There is always going to be an opportunity if you know how to search and put your mind to it.
“But, we need you back home. Nigeria has arrived; forget the frustration of the previous leadership. We are just poor in some leadership areas. That is what I harped on during my campaign. It was a very gruesome campaign, but I won the election. But if I didn’t throw myself into it with strong determination, I wouldn’t have won. You can do the same as many of you here who are contesting elections.”
Tinubu also commended the efforts of out-of-school children, the healthcare program, and the need to eradicate poverty, saying Nigeria is a blessed country.
The president also urged the Nigerians to embrace one another, stating that there should not be no sentiment or discrimination among them.
“You ought to embrace one another. No labelling, no identity; you should remove ethnic identities that tend to differentiate us.
“We are one single family, living in the same house but living in different rooms,” he said.
The town hall meeting was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; and the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Amb.Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Amb. Uzoma Emenike; Consul General of Nigeria in New York, Amb. Lot Egopija; and Consul General in Atlanta, Amb. Amina Samaila, were also in attendance.
Others were: Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom; Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State; and Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara, among others.
