A group, Journalists International Forum For Migration (JIFORM), has called for the creation of a Ministry for Diaspora and Migration Engagements to address Nigeria’s japa syndrome.

President of JIFORM, Ajibola Abayomi, made the call in an interview on Thursday in Lagos.

Mr Abayomi said that the ministry would ensure proper and decent job negotiation for Nigerian citizens across the globe.

He said that the ministry would also help in reducing incidences of irregular migration and human trafficking.

According to him, the creation of the ministry is long overdue, given the gains from human capital migration to the nation’s economy.

“We greet President Bola Tinubu, as he ushers Nigeria into a new era.

“With his track records as an achiever, there is no doubt that he will improve the wellbeing of the nation by tapping from the rare human resources that abound in the diaspora.

“Mr President, please make creation of the Ministry of Diaspora one of your priorities.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria, in April, acknowledged that from 2015 till date, Nigerians in Diaspora had remitted over $16 billion.

“The development has sustained the country’s ranking as the highest earner in the entire Sub-Saharan Africa.

“This ministry will not duplicate the duties of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, but rather give necessary attention to boosting migration and human capital development.

“We beg you not to close your eyes to the pains Nigerians are subjected to across the world in the name of labour migration.

“Kindly jettison the undue lamentations of the book makers and initiate decent job negotiations with the employers of labour in the Middle East, Europe and others so as to checkmate human trafficking and irregular migration from Nigeria,” he said.

The JIFORM president said that the forum was available to work with the new administration, whether through appointments, selections or otherwise, in order to reshape the nation’s diaspora policies.

“We are at the service of Mr. President to help our country earn an enviable status on migration matters among the comity of nations,” Mr Abayomi said.

JIFORM has more than 300 journalists covering migration matters across the African continent.

The group had also organised an intercontinental migration summit, in partnership with the City University, New York City in Brooklyn; a national migration summit and a workshop supported by Nigerian-German Centre for Job, Migration and Reintegration (NGC).

(NAN)