Mr Mehmet Poroy, the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, on Monday sought partnership with the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to strengthen bilateral relations on diaspora engagement between the two countries.
The envoy said this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Commission’s Chairman/CEO, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in Abuja.
He said that both Nigeria and Turkey shared similarities as Nigeria has 17million citizens abroad while Turkey has 7.5million diasporans.
According to him, 6.5million of them are living in Europe, while the rest are scattered in America and other parts of the world.
The envoy, who said Nigerians currently living in Turkey were 5,000, expressed his embassy’s readiness to work and learn from NiDCOM ways to better his country’s diaspora engagement.
Responding, Dabiri-Erewa appreciated the ambassador’s visit, adding that the commission was ready to partner with the Turkish government to learn and grow together.
She acknowledged that both countries have similarities in various ways, adding that the more reason for the collaboration to happen was to deepen the relationship of Nigeria and Turkey.
“Nigeria has over 17million diasporans living around the world and Nigerian diaspora are described as the most intelligent in the US and UK.
“Turkey has been friendly to Nigerian students studying in the country and I promise to return the visit.
“I promise to work and partner to share information and to collaborate with the Turkish diaspora commission,” she said. (NAN)