Media Practitioners have been charged to use their journalism skills to inform the public on the ills of Irregular Migration and also investigate where reports are made on Irregular Migration,
in other to proffer workable solutions to the scourge and other problems which can facilitate regular Migration.
The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service,CG Isah Jere Idris made this appeal today in his goodwill message delivered at a workshop for Journalists on sensitization Strategy and reportage on irregular migration and trafficking in persons in Abuja.
CG Jere who was represented by Assistant Comptroller General Ngozi Odikpo said in 2022, the NIS carried out an elaborate enlightenment and sensitization campaign on the dangers of TIPSOM in 6 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. 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 2-14 October, 2023 in Toronto, Canada.
“I encourage you to also work with local and International Organizations whose primary mandate is to promote safe and Regular Migration like International Organization for Migration (IOM), FIIAPP, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and International Center for Migration Policy Development ICMPD).
“I thank the organizers of this workshop, particularly Dr. Ajibola Abayomi, President JIFORM for inviting me. I assure you that the NIS will continue to partner with you in our quest to enforce Safe and Regular Migration. I wish you fruitful deliberations.
In his remarks,the Global President, Journalists International Forum for Migration JIFORM,Dr Abayomi Ajibola said the workshop was another opportunity for journalists as well as other stakeholders to appraise the role of the media in the reportage of migration concepts with an insight into the investigative and reporting strategies aimed at reducing human trafficking and irregular migration.
Ajibola said the 2-day workshop was to further create awareness on human trafficking matters and more importantly to consolidate on improving the capacity of the media practitioners regarding the migration reportage towards curbing irregular migration.
The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye delivered paper titled” Overview of Migration and TIP in Nigeria: The Emerging Trends.
Former NUJ Lagos Council Chairman,who is also Deputy Director, Digital Media,Voice of Nigeria,Dr Qasim Akinreti delivered paper with title’ Coping with Digital and Social Media Revolution in Migration Reportage”. While JIFORM President Abayomi Ajibola did justice to a paper with title’ Media Reportage and Management of Migration in Nigeria”
The former CG NIS, Mohammed Babandede also in his message charged media not to stigmatized Survivors of irregular migration through their reportage and also educate Nigerians on how to integrate the survivors to the society.He therefore urged migrants to follow legal migration procedures to avoid been a victim.
Also in attendance at the workshop were the Head of the Migrant Resource Centre, Lagos, and Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mrs. Maureen Ovie, Representatives of Nigerian-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (NGC),NAPTIP ,German Development Cooperation, GIZ Nigeria and Official of Nigeria Immigration Service NIS.
The JIFORM, is an umbrella body for media practitioners reporting migration. It is a non-profit organization comprising over 300 journalists and other volunteers across the continents covering migration with special attention on matters relating to the curbing of irregular migration, Trafficking In Persons (TIP), Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) and other economic issues. Since 2019, the JIFORM has become a major force organizing a series of local and international capacity-building for journalists and other stakeholders. In 2021, it initiated the annual African Migration Summit held in Ghana in partnership with the Nekotech Center of Excellence, Accra; the West African Media Migration Summit in Lome, Togo in June 22-23, 2022, and held its 3rd Global Migration Summit in Toronto, Canada in October 2022. On February 9, 2023, the JIFORM inaugurated national migration summit in Lagos to serve as an annual retreat for journalists reporting migration in Nigeria. The fourth edition of the JIFORM’s annual global migration summit will take place in Toronto between October 2-14, 2023.
