In its quest to retain and sustain existing business activities as well as encourage new business startups among its diaspora indigenes in Ekiti State, the government’s Office of Diaspora Affairs has launched a new product it calls “Ekiti Diaspora Business Register.”
The Senior Special Assistant (Diaspora Affairs) to Ekiti State governor Mr. Femi Odere,in a press release said that the creation of Ekiti Diaspora Business Register was informed by the frustrations and disappointments that had been experienced, and continues to be experienced, by the state’s diasporic indigenes who answered the call to participate in the state’s economic activity by setting up businesses only to be chaffed by unscrupulous elements, including family members, because these people are well aware of the fact that they’re not physically present to see things for themselves at home. “As a government, it behooves us to nip all that can impede economic activities in the bud in the state,” Mr. Odere stressed.
The SSA on Diaspora Affairs said that the Office of Diaspora Affairs,through other instrumentalities of government, will interface between Ekiti Diaspora indigenes and their businesses or clients in the state. “The overarching objective is not only to minimize fraudulent practices that are always perpetrated against diasporic entrepreneurs by their employees because of their geographical distance from home, but to also encourage better business practices among Ekiti diasporic indigenes and their Nigerian counterparts, based on their integrity and track records. Mr. Odere said that since Ekiti state is one of the few states in the federation with lower threshold of doing business, it is important that we don’t lose sight of those micro components that can hinder businesses to thrive in the state hence this initiative..