Nigeria is set to deepen its collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in addressing migration challenges, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has said.
Speaking in Abuja when the IOM Deputy Director-General (Operations), Ms. Ugochi Florence Daniels, paid her a courtesy visit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the minister noted that irregular migration remained a pressing concern due to the country’s large youth population, with over 70 per cent of Nigerians under 40 in need of employment.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s foreign policy rests on the 4-Ds — Democracy, Demography, Diaspora, and Development with diaspora engagement serving as a key pillar. She highlighted the vital role of the over 17 million Nigerians in the diaspora, described them as a huge national asset driving economic growth and development.
The minister underscored the need for IOM to amplify positive narratives about migration while Nigeria continues campaigns against the “myth of greener pastures” that fuels irregular migration. She acknowledged IOM’s longstanding support for Nigeria, including interventions for vulnerable migrants, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and rapid response measures during recent flood-induced displacements in Niger State.
Commending IOM’s efforts in saving lives, protecting people on the move, and facilitating pathways for regular migration, Odumegwu-Ojukwu urged the organisation to align its activities with Nigeria’s national priorities. She also called on IOM to leverage its global reach to mobilise new financial partnerships from non-traditional donors, noting that Nigeria was committed to fulfilling its financial obligations to the body.
She further disclosed that Nigeria was ready to host international organisations and UN operations relocating from Geneva or New York under the UN80 Reform Initiative.
On her part, IOM’s Deputy Director-General, Ugochi Florence Daniels, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to Nigeria, noting that the country ranked first in returns, with no fewer than 70,000 irregular migrants brought back home and 27,000 reintegrated through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) Programme.
She stressed that IOM was dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration while contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African 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,” Daniels stated.
