The Federal Government has called on Nigerians in the Diaspora to return home and seize the various economic opportunities to make billions of naira.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, made the call at an investment forum organised in New York by his ministry for Nigerians in the U.S.
Mr. Onu explained that various investment opportunities currently existed and were waiting for them at home, challenging them to take it before they were given to foreigners.
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The former governor of Abia from 1992 to 1993, informed the Diaspora Nigerians that various research products with opportunities to yield billions of naira, were waiting for them at home.
“We are asking you to come and be billionaires. That is what we are asking you, not millionaires. Come and make billions.
“We will give you products of research at nothing or little cost to you because it would be nice for the agency that has done this research to get some little returns.
“It would also be nice for the scientists, engineers who were involved in doing this research just to get something, that’s all but it would be very small.
“So, we give it (research products) to you, knowing that you will keep the money in Nigeria, you will help employ Nigerians and you will help to grow our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Mr. Onu explained that the agencies under the ministry had already developed the research products through various stages of tests and trials.
We are asking Nigerians in the Diaspora that, think home, come and take the researches that we have done, he said.
“We have taken them to a level where you can now immediately convert them into products, make money out of it; that is the message.”
But here are some comments from Nigerians on this across the social media:
- “Funny plea. We have more than 3 US industries willing to launch productions in Nigeria that require uninterrupted power generation. The plans have been shelved until the cost of power generation makes sense”
- “Be billionaire without electricity, roads, reliable telephone networks and corruption? I guess that was how Singapore did it!”
- “Come home and be billionaires with out a corresponding Job to show for the Billion. That is why all are thief. Only Money counts but not how you get it. It is better to say come Home to steal Billion.”
Perhaps someone should tell the minister that Nigerians that left the country will not have to be preached to return when they see the opportunities. Just as they saw the opportunities in their new homes, they do know when Nigeria is ready for them. They are risk takers and will surely return when it makes sense. With no light and dynamic political system, coming home is not that easy.