Jamil Omobolaji Eniola- LLM, MA, M.SC, GMC, FIIA Eniola was born and raised in Mushin, a major urban suburb of Lagos, Nigeria. Educated at some of the world’s Ivy League institutions, he has, over the past seventeen years, been involved in United Nations Consulting, Conferences, Seminars and Workshops all over the globe. His among the international guests invited to the 5th anniversary Maya Angelou life and legacy in Little Rock, Arkansas USA in October 2019. An Executive Producer/Director upcoming television program about United Nations activities to be air at United Kingdom TV Station.
He is President of Hen Foundation, which he Founded and named in his late mother’s memory with the objectives of empowering the needy with basic healthcare and access to basic education and working towards an empowerment among the underprivileged members of society. We are a Non-Governmental Organization, we have carried out 500 pilot Math’s Skill, technique board game programs in 15 public primary schools and 6 secondary, first phase in Lagos State, second phase in Ogun State and third phases in Oyo State in 2018, We also worked with the Mushin Local Government, Education department to provide free JAMB forms and Pre-Exam tutorial for over 250 students. Our foundation has carried out a humanitarian project in Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. In 2017 we carried out Cancer Screening/awareness exercise for over 2000 women in partnership with the Cancer Research Centre, University of Ibadan and Femi Gbajabiamila Foundation in Surulere, Lagos State and donations of medical equipment to the UI Cancer Screening Centre.
A thoroughly educated individual, Eniola has an Advanced General Management qualification from the University of Cambridge; International Politics from Oxford University; a Master’s degree in International Relations from Royal Holloway University of London; a Master’s degree in International Criminology from the University of Greenwich; an LLM degree in International Law from the University of East London; a double MA degree in International Relations from Queen Mary University of London and Middlesex University, an Executive Certificate in Negotiation and Decision Making from London School of Economics; an Advanced Certificate in Housing and Welfare from Trans-Atlantic College, London, Diploma in Computer Study from Manchester City College and a degree in Microbiology from the University of Ibadan,(UI), Nigeria.
Grenfell Tower – June 2017 Provided on-site help and support to victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, working with local mosques to offer temporary shelter and provisions to those affected
Adiye Organization Volunteers to support people with learning the English language and other educational assistance to help them integrate into British society and culture
Girl Child Network Worldwide Personally donated £500 and fundraised to provide village girls in rural Zimbabwe with sanitary products, allowing them to continue with their education without having to suffer from time off and interruptions. This has given girls the opportunity to leave their areas. In addition, provided Maths Skills board games to improve the levels of Maths education. Supported Women4Africa, Nigerian Women in Diaspora Leadership, Women’s Right Watch International, Okwui Mask Scheme for Survival of Domestic Violence, Tawa Chillout Domestic Violence UK, and numerous others.
Memberships President –University of Ibadan Alumni Global Network (Diaspora body UI Alumni) Member of the United Nations Association UK – 2004 – Present Participates annually in the International Day of UN Peacekeepers in London – was chosen in 2011/2018 to represent the Nigerian High Commissioner and lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in London in remembrance of fallen UN peacekeepers Ambassador for Peace of Universal Peace Federation-2018 Fellow- Institute of Information Management-Africa Associate- Negotiation and Conflict Management Group International Distinguished Member – Royal Biographical Institute, Philadelphia USA Senior Adviser on Inter-Religious Affairs to the Universal Peace Federation-Nigeria Member of Chatham House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs – 2015 – Present Associated with British Africa Business Alliance Present Patron- Kamuna Widows Empowerment Initiative, Nigeria Member of the International Youth & Student Movement for the United Nations (ISMUN), Geneva
Director of Travel, All Nigerian UN Student Association, University of Ibadan-19962000
Awards/Honour Awarded HeForShe Everyday Hero Award-HeForShe Awards-UK Awarded Community Development – Gathering of Africa’s Best Awards-UK Awarded Community and Inclusion – Uncelebrated Nigeria Awards- UK Awarded Achievers Award by Ghana Nigeria Youth Summit, Lagos State, Nigeria. Nominated Role Model of the Week – Africa4U Nominated for Male Personality of the Year- Life Changers Foundation, London
ND MAG: WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL VIEW ON LIFE ABROAD AND WHAT CONTRIBUTIONS CAN BE MADE BY NIGERIANS LIVING ABROAD TO FOSTER THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIO-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR COUNTRY?
NIDO: Yeah there are so many ways to that, for example now, with the importation of more Nigerian-made products abroad, be it yam tubers, semovita, garri, and so on and so forth, helps the Nigerian economy to grow while also selling Nigeria’s cuisine to the world; and in the domain of culture, we can also import our cultural values abroad like the Yoruba language which is now being taught in several places abroad so that children from the Yoruba descent who have never been to Nigeria and whose parents have not been able to teach the Yoruba language, can learn the language at a very young age in order to keep them in touch with their motherland. Even the BBC is in support of this program which helps Nigerians to be in touch with their culture; the more we are promoting our culture, the more attached we become to our cultural values, while also gaining more admiration from non-Nigerians who have already adopted some of our traditional dishes like pounded yam and egusi soup, Jollof rice, and also in our African attires (There’s this program I am going for in America and non-Nigerians are demanding for more Ashokis for the auction) and to me I’m seeing it as a means of developing our culture, and indirectly developing our country’s economy by buying local and selling international. It is also evaluated that the Nigerian money transfer back home this year, has clocked 25 billion Dollars, and has been greatly increased by the constant increase in the opening of new African restaurants abroad which favors the importation of local African ingredients for the preparation of different African dishes.
ND MAG: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF PROF. OSINBAJO’S COMMENTS WHERE HE CALLED NIGERIANS LIVING ABROAD AS THE MOST RESILIENT, HARDWORKING AND RESOURCEFUL AFRICAN DIASPORA?
NIDO: Yes I completely agree with His Excellency, the Vice-President’s comments, I give you an example, with my Foundation, I am a member of the British African Business Alliance, a platform whereby some Nigerians in the diaspora, be it IT professionals, entrepreneurs, medical doctors, and a host of other professionals, decided to come together in order to help their country, Nigeria, with much needed expertise for companies back home; these Nigerians boast of so much connections abroad which makes them a better channel for the Nigerian government to exploit in the building of the country’s economy. There is also the Nigerian Direct Diaspora Summit (NDDS) which is also another platform comprising of Nigerian professionals living abroad, and working on several ways to help develop Nigeria; but with all these platforms and initiatives set up by the Nigerian diaspora, the irony is that the Nigerian government has failed to tap into these initiatives. In fact, the government has completely ignored us, even when we extend our hand to them all the time; I remember when this Boko Haram thing started in Nigeria, I elaborated a good plan on how we could dialogue with them in order to limit the damages, met with several high profile government officials from the local to the Federal government, but at the end, received a ‘no consideration’ from the government, only for it to go and hire the services of an Australian who knows nothing about Nigeria’s complexities. This attitude from our own government was very discouraging as we as Nigerians are making ourselves available for our country and are being rejected by the same country, whereas, we see a lot of other nationals, from countries like China, India, Philippines, Vietnam, and even African countries like Zimbabwe, Rwanda, South Africa, and Burundi, being solicited by their respective governments to bring back their know-how home in order to contribute to the economic and socio-cultural development of their respective countries. To me it is however unfortunate that with the skills and knowledge that we, Nigerians, have, we are being overlooked by our very own government when it comes to contributing to the growth of the nation; do you know that Nigerians are amongst the most intelligent in the U.S and U.K? Go and research it and you will see that the EMAFEDON Family (of Nigerian descent) is one of the most intelligent families in the U.K, Prof. EMADEDON has children who, at the age of eleven are already in the university. So, with all these potentials, it is so hard to swallow the fact that the Nigerian diaspora is being left out completely in the process of nation building.
ND MAG: WHAT EXPECTATIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR THE NEWLY CREATED DIASPORA COMMISSION?
NIDO: I don’t expect anything great from any of the administrations without restructuring because a house built without solid foundation is bound to collapse. ABIKE DABIRI is doing a great job by solving critical issues surrounding Nigerians living abroad, most especially in Africa. Also, the Commission has no budget and as such, cannot function effectively because it needs funds to relocate diasporas; maybe when the government will provide the Commission with the necessary tools, then we can then expect more results from it, but not at this moment.
ND MAG: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE AFRICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT?
NIDO: As a Nigerian in the diaspora who intends to someday invest back home, this is a much needed economic policy that will not only boost Africa’s image in the world, but will help in the promotion of tolerance amongst Africans through the softening of some very strong immigration policies implemented by some countries in the Continent, thereby reducing the rate of xenophobic attacks such as those we are witnessing today in South Africa. The Agreement will also help in curtailing the very glaring corruption rate in Africa today, while also helping Africa to regain its importance in the world; it also means that Africans can now freely invest in any African country other than theirs, but a question remains, will they stick to the Agreement? Take a look at how Nigerians are being attacked and killed in South Africa, how they are being imposed exorbitant taxes in Ghana, will these things stop now that this Agreement is in force? It is not always easy to converge economies, for instance, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt, are the leading producing nations in the Continent, while countries like Burundi are down there in terms of the production rate; what this means is that, such less producing countries might easily become dumping grounds for the more producing countries with the putting in place of the African Free Trade Agreement. The advice will certainly be as an investor, you shouldn’t just get into a country and invest without first of all having a partner or partners because you will be ripped off possession of all you have; it is also very important for an investment deal structured like 30% for the investor, 30% for the foreign partner, 30% for local partner, and 10% for the home government, because I think with this, more Africans in the diaspora, especially Nigerians, will be encouraged to take the opportunity of the Agreement.