By Adeniyi Ifetayo
Ngozi Iweala, Alistair Soyode, Adewunmi Adeshina, others bags *NIDCOM* Ambassadorial Awards.
The Founder/Chairman, BEN Television, Mentoring Commandant Alistair Soyode, was in Abuja honored with a Special Recognition Award by the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, at the National Diaspora Day 2023 and the inaugural Diaspora Merit Award.
The awards were set up in 2021 and due to Covid 19 and other matters only came to life this year.
At the time it was annouced to recognise the contributions of Nigerians in the Diaspora as well as mainstream them into the national development agenda of the government’s administration.
The Awards is part of activities to mark the 2023 National Diaspora Day, which is an annual event in Nigeria to celebrate and recognise the contributions of Nigerians in the Diaspora to national development.
The celebration, she said, was as prescribed by the National Diaspora Policy 2021, Section 2.3.4. as approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
She stressed that Nigeria, as a nation, was blessed with a rich and diverse Diaspora population, worldwide, pointing out that, “These individuals; our Nigerian brothers and sisters; men and women living abroad, possess immense potential as catalysts and contributors to our national development.
“Over 17 million Nigerians abroad and notable ones are performing feats, internationally in the fields of Education, Medicine, Health, Sports, Media & Entertainment, Leadership & Politics, Finance, Science & ICT, Transportation, Tourism, Industry and Agribusiness. Their skills, knowledge, network and experiences are indispensable assets.
Earlier at the Award the Chairman NIDCOM had called on the recipients to see their awards as Ambassadorial in line of promoting the country in their host nations and career paths.
Among the Awardees are notable Nigerians such as the Director General of World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Jelani Aliyu MFR, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, Ms
Lola Visser Maboguje of AfdB, NGOs, among others.
Chairman/CEO of NIDCOM, Hon. Dr. Abike Dabari-Erewa while presenting the Award to Mentoring Cmdt. Alistair, said his contributions to his father-land by promoting Nigeria and Africa to the world through his first pioneering black and ethnic-oriented satellite TV Station in Europe has earned him the Award.
BEN Television is the first pioneering black and ethnic minority-oriented satellite TV Station in Europe with a wide coverage across Europe and now global through new strategic relationships. It’s also the first ethnic channel in Europe that broadcast into West Africa directly from Europe and streaming-live at www.bentelevision.com.
Mentoring Commandant Alistair in his response, thanked the Commission for giving him a surprised Special Recognition Award, said he was a trained farmer but later in life when the story of the black man was not portrayed well in Europe, decided to venture into media and had the privilege of launching the first black television in the United Kingdom to change the narrative.
The theme for this year is: “Consolidating Diaspora Engagement for National Development”, one which focuses on galvanising the skills, network and experiences of the Diaspora as indispensable assets to bolster Nigeria’s growth.
Bentelevision.com
