STATEMENT BY NIDO EUROPE
Misleading Publication by a Dissident Group Led by Mr Harold Ogunfemi and Mr Peters Omoragbon Regarding Diaspora Week 2025
NIDO Europe issues this statement to firmly rebut a grossly misleading and unprofessional publication circulated by a group of former members led by Mr Harold Ogunfemi and Mr Peters Omoragbon. The statement in question seeks to distort the facts surrounding Diaspora Week 2025 and to malign the reputation of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), particularly its Chairman/CEO, Hon. (Dr) Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
NIDOE Diaspora Day Celebration: Good Intentions And Undiplomatic Fallouts
This group’s continued defiance, misinformation, and self-promotion are a direct threat to institutional credibility in the diaspora space. Their conduct demands a comprehensive, factual, and corrective response.
- FACT CHECK: NIDO EUROPE – LEGITIMATE, REGISTERED, AND FUNCTIONAL
NIDO Europe is a legally constituted entity under UK law. It is registered and governed by a verifiable constitution, with its leadership structure publicly recorded and accessible via the UK Companies House: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04465577/
It shows the registered Chairman/CEO with significant control: Sir Barr. Chibuzo Ubochi. Leadership in NIDO Europe is determined by process, not personal ambition. It is a matter of record, not speculation.
Verified and Recognised Chapter Leaders under the NIDO Europe Administration:
France – Hon Solomon Obaje
Georgia – Hon Richard Aguyi
Germany – Hon Ojiodu-Ambrose (Coordinating)
Ireland – Hon Osaro Fajimiyo
Italy – Hon Engr George Omo Iduhon
Netherlands – Hon Anita Mak
Norway – Dr Aham Adom
Russia – Hon Dr Godwin Ibe
Spain – Chief Andrew Idu
Sweden – Dr Halima Balogun
Switzerland – Hon Iyke Moneke
Turkey – Hon Ben Anyaibe
UK North – Hon Obinna Ugwu
UK South – Hon Pastor Niyi Zacchaeus
Ukraine – Dr Felix Utusile
These individuals are the officially acknowledged representatives of their respective na-tional chapters within the current NIDO Europe leadership structure. Claims of 20+ chapters by the dissident group are baseless and inflated, even if they include moribund or inactive entities for self-legitimisation.
- FACT CHECK: NiDCOM – A FEDERAL INSTITUTION OF RECORD
NiDCOM was created by the Nigerian Government to engage the diaspora for national de-velopment. Its mandate is non-partisan. The Chairman/CEO, Hon. (Dr.) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has repeatedly emphasised the Commission’s refusal to recognise any NIDO Europe fac-tion amid the ongoing internal disputes.
At no point did she deviate from this principled stance.
During the Diaspora Week finale on 26 July 2025, the dissident group orchestrated a theat-rical ambush aimed at conferring a self-serving “award” on the NiDCOM Chair. This was clearly an attempt to extract implied legitimacy. Hon. Dabiri-Erewa, true to her word, dis-tanced herself from the act, publicly and decisively. The episode was a failed publicity stunt, a shame on Mr Harold Ogunfemi, Mr Michael Otogo and Mr Peters Omoragbon and their dissenting group. To confirm their global embarrassment, in a post-event clarification, the group attempted to mask their agenda by claiming the award came from a special purpose vehicle, “Nurses Across the Borders”, owned by Mr Peters Omorgabon. This is disingenu-ous. The ruse is transparent, and the public was not fooled. For the sake of clarity, we note that a company previously registered in the UK as ‘Nurses Across Borders Limited’ was formally dissolved on 21 January 2014, according to Companies House records.
We commend Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa for her composure and consistent professionalism in the face of provocation.
- THE STATUS OF MR HAROLD OGUNFEMI AND MR PETERS OMORAGBON
Mr Harold Ogunfemi was suspended as a member of NIDO UK South in September 2024. Consequently, he ceased to be a member of NIDO Europe from that date, in ac-cordance with the governing structure of the organisation. His purported election as “Chairman of NIDO Europe” is entirely unconstitutional, null, and void ab initio. A sus-pended individual cannot be elevated to any leadership position within NIDO, let alone its highest continental office. Furthermore, Mr Ogunfemi was neither nominated by his local chapter nor eligible to contest for office under the NIDO Europe Constitution, which explicitly requires:
• Active membership in good standing,
• Prior service in an executive role or committee chairperson,
• And endorsement by a validly constituted chapter.
To date, Mr Ogunfemi has not been readmitted into NIDO UK South. In the absence of chapter affiliation, he remains ineligible for membership in NIDO Europe, much less its leadership.
Mr Peters Omoragbon has never held an executive position within NIDO Europe. His organisation, Nurses Across the Borders, is not a NIDO affiliate and does not represent the diaspora collective. It is a special-purpose vehicle, and the reading public can deci-pher the role of this organisation from their ill-advised publication.
Both individuals are outsiders to the NIDO Europe governance structure and have no standing to act or speak on its behalf. We urge all MDAs, embassies, and stakeholders to disregard any representations made by them under the name “NIDO Europe.”
- ON “A WEEK IN/FOR NIGERIA” – A SHARED NIGERIA DIASPORA INITIATIVE
“A Week in Nigeria / A Week for Nigeria” is an initiative originally conceived by Sir Barr. Chibuzo Ubochi, the legitimate Chairman of NIDO Europe, during his tenure as Chairman of NIDO UK South.
It has since been embraced and adopted by NIDO Worldwide as a unifying platform for diaspora engagement. The initiative does not belong to any individual or faction; rather, it represents a collective endeavour by Nigerians in the diaspora, dedicating their time, skills, and resources toward meaningful contributions to homeland development.
To falsely portray this initiative as the exclusive achievement of a factional group is mis-leading and disingenuous. The deliberate inflation of the value or scope of interven-tions and proposals undermines the integrity of our collective efforts and is morally in-defensible. Fundraising under the guise of homeland development while pursuing per-sonal visibility is deceptive and must come to an end. NIDO Europe remains committed to encouraging all Nigerians in the Diaspora to contribute meaningfully to homeland development. We make no claim to sole credit for these efforts; our focus remains on transparency, collaboration, and service to Nigeria.
- THE STUNT: THE AWARD PRESENTATION
On 26 July 2025, in a moment that should have celebrated collective diaspora efforts, the rogue group sought to exploit the platform for political gain. Despite public aware-ness of NiDCOM’s neutrality, they forced an award presentation upon Hon. (Dr) Dabiri-Erewa, an action entirely lacking in protocol, ethics, or legitimacy.
Their embarrassment is self-inflicted. Their subsequent publication, attacking the NiD-COM Chairman, reads more as a tantrum disguised as institutional concern. NIDO Eu-rope firmly distances itself from such conduct and dissociates from any publication that lacks decorum, objectivity, and institutional maturity.
- A REBUTTAL TO THEIR STATEMENT
Their widely circulated statement is:
Misleading – It distorts facts to manufacture legitimacy
Disrespectful – It attacks a federal institution and its leadership
Unprofessional – It lacks decorum, maturity, and institutional awareness
We urge all stakeholders to disregard its contents in full.
- RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE
NIDO Europe, under the lawful leadership of Sir Barr. Chibuzo Ubochi, conducted its Diaspora Week 2025 activities with dignity, professionalism, and full adherence to established protocol.
We honoured the guidance of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and deliberately refrained from politicising the event. Our contributions throughout the week were constructive, impactful, and are duly on record, presumably well noted by NiD-COM and other relevant stakeholders.
We reaffirm our role as a committed partner to the Federal Government of Nigeria and a willing collaborator with all sincere diaspora stakeholders who share our vision of homeland development through responsible engagement.
- OUR CALL TO ACTION
We call on:
i. The Federal Government, MDAs, and Diplomatic Missions to disregard and disassociate from this dissident group.
- The diaspora community to remain vigilant, reject deception, and uphold our founding values.
iii. The media and public institutions to verify claims and engage only with the recognised leadership of NIDO Europe.
NIDO is not a playground for attention-seekers. It is a platform for credible engagement, constructive policy advocacy, and purposeful homeland development.
We call on all stakeholders to rise above factionalism and recommit to professionalism as the defining standard for our shared future.
With kind regards,
Abimbola Oluwasona
Hon Abimbola Oluwasona, MBE
General Secretary(a/g), NIDO Europe
Chibuzo Ubochi
Sir Barr Chibuzo Ubochi
Chairman, NIDO Europe
