The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said Nigerians in diaspora want to come back to the country.
Peter Obi said that would be possible when the country starts to work. He decried that poor governance, insecurity and poor health system resulting from bad governance over the years are responsible for the delayed return of Nigerians in Western nations.
He stated that the growth of Nigerians’s migration to Western and developed nations in Asia would turn out to capital gain in the future if Nigeria gets good leadership.
In an interview with Why Not Afrika, posted on X handle, Obi explained that Nigerians in diaspora are critical to the country’s development.
His words, “Diasporans are people who change society in every part of the world, in China, India, almost the whole Asia, because they live in the better part of the world. So I’m telling them also you have to make the sacrifice.
“I say it’s capital gain. Because that’s what happened to India. That’s what happened to everywhere. It will become capital gain. We’re not losing anything. They will come back.
“They will come back when things start going in the right direction. This is their home. They love it. They want to go home. They want to show. Indians are doing it today. Chinese people are doing it. Vietnamese are doing it for America. Even Mexicans are now going back to Mexico. Brazilians, they all came to America. They’re now going back. So are Africans.”
The former governor of Anambra State emphasized the need to attract the diasporans by creating a conducive environment through good governance.
“But we need to make it conducive for them to come. We need to make it worthwhile for them to come. They can’t go home to be kidnapped. They can’t come home to be killed. They can’t come home where if they have the least illness, they will die.
“They want to come home where they’re free to move around. Like they move where they live. They want to come home where people will be happy with them and everything. And that’s what makes the difference,” Obi added.