Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, welcomes IOM Deputy Director-General, Ms. Ugochi Florence Daniels, during a courtesy visit in Abuja
Nigeria has expressed readiness to deepen collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to curb the rising trend of irregular migration among its young population.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stated this in Abuja when the Deputy Director-General (Operations) of IOM, Ms. Ugochi Florence Daniels, paid her a courtesy visit.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu attributed the surge in irregular migration to Nigeria’s youthful demography, noting: “Over 70 percent of our population is under the age of 40, and they need employment.
This demographic pressure is at the root of irregular migration.”The minister explained that migration remains central to President Bola Tinubu’s 4-D foreign policy framework, anchored on Democracy, Demography, Diaspora, and Development.
She highlighted Nigeria’s diaspora population of over 17 million, describing it as a “vital national asset” with significant contributions to the economy.
“The diaspora plays a very important role in driving Nigeria’s economy, and this is why citizen diplomacy is a priority in our foreign policy,” she said.
Commending IOM’s humanitarian interventions, including its recent relief support to 1,000 flood-affected families in Niger State, Odumegwu-Ojukwu urged the Organisation to intensify collaboration with government agencies and explore partnerships with non-traditional donors to sustain programmes.
She further stressed Nigeria’s campaign against the “myth of greener pastures” abroad, urging citizens to embrace safe and regular migration channels.
On her part, Ms. Daniels reaffirmed IOM’s long-term commitment to Nigeria, disclosing that the agency had assisted over 70,000 stranded Nigerians to return home, with about 27,000 successfully reintegrated through the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme.
“We have a very comprehensive intervention in Nigeria. We remain dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration while supporting the government to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa Union’s Agenda 2063,” Daniels said.
She added that IOM is currently implementing the EU-funded Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria (PBMM) project, which supports border management, migration data, labour mobility, and diaspora engagement.
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