Panel Calls For More Action On Flow Of Remittances, As The World Marks World Day On Remittances .

  ABUJA, JUNE 16, 2020 : As the world marks the International Day on 
Remittances, there has been a call to action to ensure free flow of 
remittances despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 global pandemic. 
In a press release signed by Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head, Media and Public Relations Unit, Nigerians in Diaspira Commission (NIDCOM) said
“This was one of the resolutions reached on Tuesday to mark the day with 
a webinar entitled “A call to Action : Remittances in crisis; How to 
keep it flowing”, put together by the United Kingdom and Switzerland, 
with participants from Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Mexico, Jordan, the 
UNDP, IOM, International Association of Money transfer network ,UNCDF 
and the World bank. 

In his welcome remarks, Mr Pietro Mona, Ambassador for Development, 
forced displacement and migration, Switzerland and Mr Dilip Ratha, Lead 
Economist & Head of KNOWMAD, World Bank, stressed the need to declare 
remittances an emergency and reflect on the challenges present as a 
result of Covid-19 and the challenges that lie ahead. 

Chairman of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, speaking at the event,  
called for a reduction in charges and levies on remittances as well as a 
more digitalised, secure and accessible service for all that will be 
attractive enough to channel informal mode of remittances through the 
formal channels already in existence. 

The UK Minister for Africa Mr James Duddridge, Pakistan’s Finance 
Secretary Mr Naveed Kamran , DG Human rights, Mexico Mr Christopher 
Ballinas Valdés, Ambassador Amr – el Shebini  from Egypt, and Jordan’s 
Adnan Allahasey , Chairman International Association of Money transfer 
Networks, UN Assistant Sec General  and Director Crises Bureau UNDP, Ms 
Asako Okhai, and Miss Wen Li from IOM all lent their voices to the need 
to strengthen the digital capacity of users, regulate and reduce the 
cost of money transfer and remittances to developing countries. 

There was also a call on remittance service providers to introduce 
solutions that will make transfer and remittance seamless and more 
efficient, especially in this era of covid 19 . 

The need for more digital remittance platforms was also emphasized. 

Nigeria, with the rest of the world, set June 16 every year as the 
“International Day of Family Remittances” or IDFR. 

This observance, adopted by the United Nations (UN), is to recognise the 
quota diasporas render in enabling the economy of their homelands. 

According to the UN, this group is estimated at over 200 million 
migrants who cater to the needs of 800 millions family members at home, 
who are mostly rural dwellers, in terms of feeding, healthcare and 
education. 

In addition, the United Nations “aims to bring greater awareness of the 
impact that these contributions have on millions of households, but also 
on communities, countries, and entire regions. 

The day also calls upon governments, private sector entities, as well as 
the civil society, to find ways that can maximize the impact of 
remittances through individual, and/or collective actions…”, (United 
Nations). 

  The theme for this year’s observance is, #IDFR2020
#FamilyRemittances:Building resilience in times of crisis. 

This year’s event will be celebrated with such peculiarity because of 
the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption on political and socio-economic 
activities. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the UN, in his 
message, stated that although COVID-19 is still present, acknowledged 
the determination of migrants who still send money home despite the 
global health meltdown. 

  The UN Chief appealed to everyone to support these migrants, at a time 
when remittances depreciated more than $100 billion, resulting to 
hunger, closure of schools and degenerating health systems, and other 
challenges, for tens of millions of families, with women and girls 
having to be affected.