The Ondo State Government has approved the establishment of Diaspora Focal Desks across all 18 Local Government Areas of the state in a strategic push to strengthen inclusive engagement with its citizens worldwide.
Announcing the initiative in a statement, the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols at the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the newly created desks will decentralise diaspora engagement and ensure that every local government directly benefits from global partnerships, development support, and community-driven interventions.
According to the statement, the Focal Desks will function as grassroots liaison points to enhance communication, strengthen data collection, coordinate local outreach, and streamline mobilisation for diaspora-led activities.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure with the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro, and all 18 Local Government Chairmen, the Commissioner for Regional Integration and Diaspora Relations, Otunba Wale Akinlosotu, said the initiative aligned with the administration’s OUR EASE development vision.
Akinlosotu stressed that the move will bring diaspora engagement “closer to the people,” while unlocking socio-economic gains from global linkages at the community level.
He added that Ondo State remains a leading model in subnational diaspora engagement—people-centered, globally connected, and development-driven.
With this initiative, Ondo joins Enugu, Kano, Cross River, Edo and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which also operate diaspora desk offices at local government levels.
