DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA AND THE DIASPORA'S SOCIAL REMITTANCE OPTION

Abstract

Despite foundations laid by the former Premier of the Easter Region, Michael I. Okpala and his contemporaries, efforts by subsequent administrations and Diaspora's financial remittances to the region, development in the South-East Nigeria is still facing serious setback. The paper explored Diaspora's social remittances namely: technological, knowledge, and democratic values transfers as efficient options for building a politically and economically resilient, cohesive and viable South-East Nigeria. The paper is qualitative and relied on documentary evidence and some tables to present the data. It adopted human capacity theory to explain the importance of the Diaspora in the South-East economic, political and security developments. Findings showed that Diaspora's contributions to the development of the South-East are lopsidedly inadequate and lacking in social remittances. Most South-Easterners in Diaspora do not return to participate actively in the politics and economy of the region despite advancement in communication and transportation. They are held bound by the luxuries in developed cities of their host states even when some of them are at the fore font in their fields of businesses and professions over there. Such fields are moribund in their home states. Authorities in the region and Diaspora should work for more Diaspora involvement in technological development, knowledge
transmission, democratic values transfers and physical participation in the South-East political, economic and security projects and Nigeria in general and sponsor the amendments of relevant laws to facilitate development programme required for achieving these goals.