INTERVIEW: Brain Drain: What Nigeria Can Learn From Indian Diaspora Engagement - Ambassador
The Indian Diaspora has grown over the years to become one of the most admired and successful Diaspora groups/populations in the world.
Members of the group have made leaps and bounds, including Rishi Sunak, the Indian-born British Prime Minister.
In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, India's High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gangadharan Balasubramanian, shares lessons on India's engagement with its diaspora population and suggestions on how Nigeria can do the same with its promising diaspora population.
Like Nigeria, India has already faced the problem of brain drain, but Balasubramanian said he would prefer to call the mass outflow of citizens brain circulation, not brain drain.< /p>
He shares the experience of India to attract again those citizens who left the country.
Furthermore, the diplomat spoke about India's G20 Presidency, bilateral relations with Nigeria, among others.
ExtractsPT: The Indian diaspora is perhaps one of the most developed and admired. What lessons can Nigeria learn from your engagement with your diaspora?
Mr. Balasubramanian: India has about 32 million diasporas spread across the world. Almost every country has a few Indians. In Nigeria, we have approximately 60,000 Indians who have made Nigeria their home over the past three to four decades. Just to mention the Indian Diaspora in Nigeria a little more, there are over 135 Indian companies that have been manufacturing and working here in Nigeria for three to four decades.
Similarly, we have a diaspora scattered across the world and I would say instead of learning lessons, we should share experiences because the Nigerian diaspora is also one of the largest you have in outside of Nigeria, which is natural.< /p>
The only point you made is about the brain drain that is happening and was happening in India in the past. We now call it brain circulation, in terms of people leaving, gaining experience, gaining knowledge, improving and then coming back to the country to develop the country as well.
The Indian government has quite adapted to recognizing the role of the Diaspora in the world and we have been engaging the Diaspora very effectively over the past 15-20 years, which has emphasized the engagement of the diaspora.< /p>
More than 17 programs have been set up, ranging from the Study in India program to the Know India program to Visit India and the Citizen of India card. We used to have the Person of Indian Origin map which has now been merged into the Citizen of India map.
This card gives an Indian diaspora, which is not a citizen, citizenship privileges just below electoral and land rights.
There has been a huge push in terms of diaspora engagement, they have also come of age in their respective countries as you rightly pointed out. They grew up more than three generations ago of Indians who migrated from India and settled in another country as their second home. But as they say, you can take an Indian out of India, but you can't take India out of them.
We have just completed what we call Diaspora Day which takes place once every two years. We had what we call the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) which means Non Resident Indian Day. From 8th to 10th January 2023, we organized the 17th edition of the Diaspora in Indore which saw a large number of people of Indian origin return to attend, including about 17 Indians from Nigeria.
The Indian Diaspora has grown over the years to become one of the most admired and successful Diaspora groups/populations in the world.
Members of the group have made leaps and bounds, including Rishi Sunak, the Indian-born British Prime Minister.
In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, India's High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gangadharan Balasubramanian, shares lessons on India's engagement with its diaspora population and suggestions on how Nigeria can do the same with its promising diaspora population.
Like Nigeria, India has already faced the problem of brain drain, but Balasubramanian said he would prefer to call the mass outflow of citizens brain circulation, not brain drain.< /p>
He shares the experience of India to attract again those citizens who left the country.
Furthermore, the diplomat spoke about India's G20 Presidency, bilateral relations with Nigeria, among others.
ExtractsPT: The Indian diaspora is perhaps one of the most developed and admired. What lessons can Nigeria learn from your engagement with your diaspora?
Mr. Balasubramanian: India has about 32 million diasporas spread across the world. Almost every country has a few Indians. In Nigeria, we have approximately 60,000 Indians who have made Nigeria their home over the past three to four decades. Just to mention the Indian Diaspora in Nigeria a little more, there are over 135 Indian companies that have been manufacturing and working here in Nigeria for three to four decades.
Similarly, we have a diaspora scattered across the world and I would say instead of learning lessons, we should share experiences because the Nigerian diaspora is also one of the largest you have in outside of Nigeria, which is natural.< /p>
The only point you made is about the brain drain that is happening and was happening in India in the past. We now call it brain circulation, in terms of people leaving, gaining experience, gaining knowledge, improving and then coming back to the country to develop the country as well.
The Indian government has quite adapted to recognizing the role of the Diaspora in the world and we have been engaging the Diaspora very effectively over the past 15-20 years, which has emphasized the engagement of the diaspora.< /p>
More than 17 programs have been set up, ranging from the Study in India program to the Know India program to Visit India and the Citizen of India card. We used to have the Person of Indian Origin map which has now been merged into the Citizen of India map.
This card gives an Indian diaspora, which is not a citizen, citizenship privileges just below electoral and land rights.
There has been a huge push in terms of diaspora engagement, they have also come of age in their respective countries as you rightly pointed out. They grew up more than three generations ago of Indians who migrated from India and settled in another country as their second home. But as they say, you can take an Indian out of India, but you can't take India out of them.
We have just completed what we call Diaspora Day which takes place once every two years. We had what we call the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) which means Non Resident Indian Day. From 8th to 10th January 2023, we organized the 17th edition of the Diaspora in Indore which saw a large number of people of Indian origin return to attend, including about 17 Indians from Nigeria.
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