Former Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador Kunle Adeyemi, believes that many Nigerian embassies abroad are doing a good job of protecting Nigerians abroad to the extent that they are allowed by the laws of the host countries.
Sunrise on Channels Television hosted Amb. Adeyemi and presented him with statistics showing that as at December 2013, no fewer than 15,300 Nigerians were in various prisons abroad, with the largest number of about 750 in the UK alone.
On the reasons why Nigerians usually experience hostility in many countries, Adeyemi said that steps had been taken to fight such treatments making reference to the deportation of some South Africans as retaliation to an earlier treatment meted out to Nigerians.
He, however, noted that it has been discovered that many African countries were only jealous of Nigeria, citing events during the voting of Nigeria into the UN Security Council. He recounted how African countries adamantly voted against Nigeria and it took votes from outside the continent to give Nigeria victory.
He also cited the attitude of Nigerians in foreign lands as a major source of resentment against Nigerians. He condemned the domineering attitude of Nigerians in the business setting as one which locals in host countries would never be happy with, as he advised that “elbowing out” hosts is not a right attitude.
Ambassador Adeyemi admitted that indeed Nigeria has not been strong in forcing other countries as it was not in the culture of the country to engage in retaliatory actions against governments to drive its foreign policy. He attributed this to the “big brother” position of the country among other African countries.
He cited the instance of the presidential election in the Republic of Benin, and the role of the Nigerian Government in averting a planned annulment of the polls as an example of forms in which the country flexes its muscles positively.
He advised Nigerians planning to live abroad to start by getting proper information about their host countries right from the point where they pick up their visas at the embassy in Nigeria, as information was the best way to avoid being in trouble.
