Chidimma Uchegbu -Abuja
Nigeria is poised to forge better collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in tackling migration crisis, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has said.
This is as she attributed the spate of illegal migration of Nigerians to the country’s huge demography explaining that over 70 per cent of the nation’s population was under 40 and they needed employment.
The Minister stated these when the Deputy Director-General (Operations) for the International Organisation for Migration, Ms. Ugochi Florence Daniels, paid her a courtesy visit in her office at Tafawa Balewa House, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.
This was contained in the statement signed by the Special Assistant on Communication and New Media Office of the Minister , Dr. Magnus Eze stated that the Amb. Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that Diaspora is one of the major planks of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s foreign policy approach comprising Democracy, Demography, Diaspora and Development, otherwise christened 4-Ds.
She highlighted the government’s focus on citizen diplomacy following its concern about the welfare of the over 17 million Nigerians in the diaspora. She noted that Nigeria’s very vibrant diaspora plays very important role in the nation’s economy by driving development.
Highlighting the contributions of millions of Nigerian migrants in diaspora, the minister equally emphasised the need for IOM to promote positive narratives on migration.
Notwithstanding, the minister, said that the country has sustained campaign to dispel the myth about greener pastures which according to her was the driver of irregular migration.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu, therefore, acknowledged the longstanding cooperation between Nigeria and IOM in addressing concerns relating to vulnerable migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
She applauded IOM’s strategic direction to save lives and protect people on the move, drive solutions to displacement and facilitate pathways for regular migration.
The minister further acknowledged the recent assistance by IOM in responding to the severe displacement due to flooding in some parts of the country especially Niger State where it deployed a rapid response team to support data collection, conduct initial damage assessment and provide emergency shelter kits and non-food items packages to support up 1000 most vulnerable families.
In view of the financial challenges currently facing the Organisation, the minister highlighted the need to initiate and execute programmes that address existential needs of persons of concern to IOM, in line with national priorities.
Disclosing that the government was taking necessary measures to fulfil its financial obligation to IOM, she urged the Organisation to ensure harmonisation of activities with Ministries, Departments and Agencies and other International Organisations. She, then, urged that the body leverages its global status to engender novel financial partnership from non-traditional donors.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu further said that as part of the UN80 Reform Initiative, Nigeria was willing to host International Organisations/UN Operations that are relocating from Geneva or New York.
Currently, IOM Nigeria is implementing a programme titled: “Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria” (PBMM), funded by the European Union to assist Government in the areas of Managing Irregular Migration through Immigration and Border Management, Migration Data, Policy and Labour Migration and Diaspora Mobilisation.
Earlier, the Deputy Director General of IOM, Ugochi Florence Daniels reassured the Organisation’s commitment to the government and people of Nigeria.
She said that Nigeria was number one in returns as no fewer than 70,000 irregular migrants had been returned to the country by the IOM while about 27,000 were reintegrated in the society through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme (AVRR).
Daniels said the Organisation was dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for all migrants and accelerating the transformative initiatives to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063.
“We have a very comprehensive intervention in Nigeria. We count on your continued support for the work of IOM in Nigeria,” she said.
