Dabiri-Erewa Encourages Strategic Partnerships Among Nigerian Diaspora On Digitisation

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has encouraged Diaspora Nigerians to collaborate in scaling up digital technology in Nigeria.

She stated this during a visit to the NiDCOM Headquarters in Abuja by Prof. Adedeji Badiru, a retired Systems Engineer from the US Institute of Engineering for the US Airforce.

Dabiri-Erewa praised the Professor’s portfolio as proof that Nigerians in the Diaspora are trailblazers in all fields of endeavour.

She said, “Professor, you represent the best of Nigeria.”

The NiDCOM Chairman stated that more experts in information and communication technology, such as Badiru, are required, particularly as the country embraces systems engineering.

She also stated that his knowledge of data analytics will help the Commission build an efficient data mapping system, and she urged the retired engineer to mentor young people back home.

Prof. Adedeji Badiru thanked the Chairman of NiDCOM for providing him with the opportunity to engage with her.

He stated that his retirement will allow him to travel frequently to Nigeria and elsewhere to share his expertise, which he was unable to do while working.

Prior to his retirement, Badiru donated technical books to Nigerian institutions as a form of giving back.

In addition, he was instrumental in establishing an affiliation between the Airforce Institute of Technology (AFIT) in the United States and Kaduna, Nigeria, which provided Nigerian students with additional training opportunities.
Badiru expressed a willingness to collaborate with NiDCOM on knowledge sharing.

Prof. Adedeji Badiru is a systems engineer by profession. He was born in Lagos but spent over 45 years of his life in the United States.

One of his accomplishments was the establishment of the Systems Engineering department at the University of Lagos, where he was known as the “Father of Systems Engineering” for nearly 30 years.