By Muhammad Amaan
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has reiterated Nigeria’s readiness to deepen collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in tackling migration crises.
This is contained in a statement on Thursday by Dr Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
The statement indicated that Odumegwu-Ojukwu said when she received in her office, the visiting Deputy Director-General of Operations for the International Organisation for Migration, Ms Ugochi Daniels.
The minister explained President Bola Tinubu’s foreign policy approach comprising Democracy, Demography, Diaspora and Development christened 4-Ds.
She said that the 4-Ds are focused on citizen diplomacy following concern about the welfare of the over 17 million Nigerians in the Diaspora.
Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu described Nigeria’s vibrant Diaspora population as individuals that have played very important roles in the nation’s economy by driving development.
She highlighted the contributions of millions of Nigerian migrants in the Diaspora, stressing the need for IOM to promote positive narratives on migration.
She also reiterated the longstanding cooperation between Nigeria and IOM in tackling concerns relating to vulnerable migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The minister also praised the IOM’s strategic direction, which she said had saved lives and protected people on the move, driven solutions to displacement, and facilitated pathways for regular migration.
She commended IOM for responding to severe displacement caused by flooding in parts of the country, especially Niger state.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that IOM deployed rapid response teams to support data collection, conduct initial-damage assessment, provide emergency shelter kits and non-food items packages to support up to 1,000 most vulnerable families.
“As part of the UN80 Reform Initiative, Nigeria is willing to host International Organisations/UN Operations that are relocating from Geneva or New York.
“IOM Nigeria is implementing a programme titled: “Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria (PBMM),” funded by the European Union to assist the government in 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 Daniels, reassured Odumegwu-Ojukwu of the organisation’s commitment to the government and people of Nigeria.
According to her, Nigeria is number one in returns as no fewer than 70,000 irregular migrants been returned to the country by the IOM.
Daniels added that about 27,000 of the irregular migrants had been reintegrated into the society through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme (AVRR).
Daniels said, “The organisation is 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.”
