Japa: Fix infrastructures, empower youths to curb illegal migration, Research Institute tells FG

By Matthew Denis

In a bid to curb illicit migration amidst the ‘japa syndrome’, the President of Global Migration Research Institute (GMRI), Dr. Williams Ijoma has called on the Federal Government to fix Infrastructures in the Country and create employment opportunities for the teeming youths.

He made the call during a national workshop on migration issues organised by the Universal Migration Enlightenment Centre, UMEC, Nigeria, in partnership with GMRI held in Abuja on Tuesday.

Speaking on the theme; “Tackling Migration Diverse Problems For Sustainable Growth and Social Progress”, he said “the government needs to do more in terms of fixing Infrastructures, creating jobs opportunities to empower the youths, sponsor students for scholarship to learn more from the advanced countries.

Ijoma advised Nigerian youths to shun the ideas of travelling out because of economic downtown, but embrace creative businesses considering the fact there are also challenges even in Europe.

He said “some youths are ignorant and are being deceived by fraudsters who want to just dupe them and after they migrate illegally they become stranded and even die in some circumstances because they don’t have a place to stay.”

Executive Secretary, UMEC, Chief Barth Ikiebe, emphasized that the programme in collaboration with various stakeholders is targeted at educating Nigerians to always use legal means for traveling with genuine reasons.

According to him, the Centre has been partnering with government agencies, Non Governmental Organisations and Civil Society Organisations to provide a better environment for citizens to engage them to avoid illicit migration.

The highlights of the event was discussions from various partnering agencies both Government and private to fine-tune ways of solving illegal migration activities across the borders of this Country.