He said that after holding sensitization campaigns in Edo, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states, the organisation will rely on the media to educate more Nigerians on the dangers of irregular migration.
“In 2022, the NIS carried out an elaborate enlightenment and sensitisation campaign on the dangers of TIPSOM in six states of the federation, namely; Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Enugu, Oyo and Kano. Plans are underway to cover other vulnerable states, especially those along the borders,” Idris said at the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop on sensitisation strategies and reportage on irregular migration and human trafficking organised by the Journalists International Forum for Migration in conjunction with the German Cooperation and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Represented by Assistant Controller-General Ngozi Odikpo, the acting CGI told participants, “I call on you to use your journalism skills to inform the public on the ills of irregular migration and also investigate where reports are made on irregular migration.
“You can in turn proffer workable solutions to this scourge and other problems that can facilitate regular migration.
“I have taken note of your contributions in migration management since 2019, especially in capacity building for journalists. Also noted is your information on the fourth edition of the JIFORM Global Summit, which is scheduled to take place from October 2–14.”
Also speaking was the immediate past CGI, Mohammed Babandede, who said, “It is pertinent that the media enlighten the populace about the dangers of irregular migration, TIP and SOM through.
“An example of using entertainment to sensitise the public about the negative impact of these vices is the production of a television series titled, The Missing Steps, which is a collaborative effort between IOM Nigeria and the Swiss Federation: the script of which I developed.
“However, a lot still needs to be done, because a large portion of the population is still ignorant of the dangers and menaces of these vices. This is where the media needs to have a robust strategy for effective enlightenment as well as dissemination of information on the perpetrators.”
On her part, Tolulope Olaiya, who represented the Team Leader of the NGC, a programme under the German Corporation for International Development, Ms Sandra Vermuijten, which implements the Returning to New Opportunities Programme of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, said the agency would continue to support the JIFORM capacity building initiative for journalists.
Olaiya, who is the Abuja Coordinator of the NGC, said, “Words carry more significance beyond the pages they are printed on; they could have devastating effects on victims of human trafficking, for example; they could also open the public’s eyes to false hopes that are peddled by bad actors.”
She revealed that, between December 2017 to December 2022, the BMZ programme has provided over 282,000 individual support measures to returnees and the local population, provided almost 60,000 individual consultations, placed over 30,000 persons in employment, provided over 42,000 business start-up measures, over 133,000 qualification measures, and provided over 1600 psychosocial support services.
