‘Japa’: Let’s strengthen regular migration, Dabiri-Erewa advises

Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has urged participants at the ongoing international conference on migration to strengthen regular migration pathways to enhance labour mobility.

The NIDCOM boss made the remark in her keynote address as well as panelist discussion at the Rabat Process (Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development) thematic meeting under Nigerian’s chairmanship, with the theme: “Youth, Education and Innovation: Driving the Future of Migration”.

She stressed that the government’s efforts should be consolidated in the sensitisation and education of the general public on the available opportunities backed by laws in the migration space to further galvanise support for combating irregular migration and the dangers attached to it.

Highlighting the positive impact of Diaspora engagement, the NIDCOM boss pointed out that the over 20 million Nigerians in the Diaspora were a major component of the overall development and thus were an economic force that could not be ignored.

According to her, Nigerians abroad remitted about $20 billion to Nigeria last year, which equates to a contribution of about 5.7 per cent of the GDP of Nigeria and 11 times the FDI for the year.

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She stressed on the need to include youths in all aspects of policy decision and implementation of migration issues as they can bring their expertise, skills and knowledge to bear, noting that NiDCOM had put in place dedicated programmes for diaspora youth under the home strings category.

The Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development, also known as the Rabat Process, is a multi-stakeholder dialogue between European and African countries.