The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) worldwide, says it is considering the establishment of a fund to help rebuild North East Nigerian communities destroyed by Boko Haram.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NIDO is the umbrella body of Nigerians living abroad.

The President of NIDO in Europe, Mr George Manuwuike, told NAN in Abuja on Friday that the fund would be known as `Boko Haram Appeal Fund`.

Manuwuike said that the fund could be inaugurated before Nigeria’s independence anniversary in October.

``You know there is the Iraqi Fund; the Syria Fund and the rest. So, we believe that there should be something like Boko Haram Appeal Fund.

``When constituted, that fund would be used to rebuild the North East because the North East currently is devastated.

``We are reaching out to donor agencies and our foreign partners to see that this is done; we are surely working on it.

``In a couple of months, that should be done; we are looking at probably before independence day.``

The president of NIDO listed infrastructure, education and health as some of the areas that the proposed fund would focus on.

He said that the initiative was one of several programmes NIDO was pondering to support Nigeria’s development agenda.

Manuwuike condemned the renewed attacks by Boko Haram in parts of the country and commended the Federal Government for the steps it had taken in response to the development.

Mr Abdullahi Dauda, a member of the United States chapter of NIDO told NAN that the need to support destroyed communities had been in the forefront of discourse among Nigerians in the diaspora for some time.

Dauda said NIDO would work closely with the affected state governments to assist the communities devastated by the acts of terror.

He said: ``What NIDO is proposing to do is to work with foreign organisations to raise the fund and come in and help. I know the Nigerian government is already doing certain things.

``So what NIDO will do with the fund is to work alongside the government; we are not just coming in to do what we want.

``We will work with the government at least to see what the deficiency areas are so that we can contribute meaningfully to help the situation.``

He said in order to actualise its objectives and programmes, NIDO would soon establish a liaison office in Abuja. (NAN)

Photo shows: Scene of Boko Haram attack

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