Abuja: Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, announced that Nigeria is set to collaborate with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to combat illegal migration.
According to Voice of Nigeria, the announcement was made during a courtesy visit by IOM’s Deputy Director-General (Operations), Ms. Ugochi Florence Daniels, to Abuja, Nigeria.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu attributed the illegal migration crisis in Nigeria to the country’s demographic challenges, noting that over 70 percent of the population is under 40 and in need of employment. She emphasized that diaspora is a crucial component of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s foreign policy, which focuses on Democracy, Demography, Diaspora, and Development. The government is prioritizing citizen diplomacy due to concerns for the welfare of over 17 million Nigerians living abroad.
The minister highlighted the significant role of the vibrant Nigerian diaspora in driving national development and urged IOM to promote positive narratives on migration. She also dispelled the myth of “greener pastures” as a driver of irregular migration and acknowledged the long-standing cooperation between Nigeria and IOM in addressing issues related to vulnerable migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
Odumegwu-Ojukwu praised IOM’s strategic direction in saving lives, protecting people on the move, and facilitating pathways for regular migration. She acknowledged IOM’s recent support in response to severe flooding in parts of Nigeria, particularly Niger State. The organization deployed a rapid response team to support data collection, conduct damage assessments, and provide emergency shelter kits and non-food items to assist up to 1,000 vulnerable families.
In light of financial challenges facing IOM, the minister stressed the importance of aligning programs with national priorities and fulfilling Nigeria’s financial obligations to the organization. She urged IOM to harmonize activities with local agencies and international organizations and to seek novel financial partnerships from non-traditional donors.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu also expressed Nigeria’s willingness to host International Organizations and UN Operations relocating from Geneva or New York as part of the UN80 Reform Initiative.
Earlier, IOM’s Deputy Director-General, Ugochi Florence Daniels, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to Nigeria. She highlighted that Nigeria leads in the number of returns, with over 70,000 irregular migrants returned and about 27,000 reintegrated through IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme (AVRR).
Daniels emphasized IOM’s dedication to promoting humane and orderly migration and accelerating initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. She noted that IOM Nigeria is implementing the ‘Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria’ (PBMM) program, funded by the European Union, to assist the government in managing irregular migration through immigration and border management, migration data, policy, labor migration, and diaspora mobilization.