The UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has urged the Federal Government to prioritise youths’ interest in decision-making processes to advance migration governance.

Laurent De Boeck, chief of the IOM mission in Nigeria, stated this in an interview on Wednesday in Abuja.

Speaking on the IOM 2022-2024 Impact Assessment on Migration, Mr Boeck said that high internal and external migration persists despite the government’s efforts to tackle migration-related issues.

He said, “We see statistically that there are still, unfortunately, young people who are suffering from migration abuse and end up in a very complex situation. They are stranded in another country and intercepted by police in those countries. 

“Somehow mistreated or suddenly facing difficult issues in terms of dignity and how to face their parents, siblings and community when they are forced to return, not having succeeded.

“So, despite the fact we made progress with state and federal level supports, priority on the youth must remain a priority to ensure they make an informed choice going abroad.”

According to Mr Boeck, the mission plans to prioritise regular pathways for tackling migration issues through more critical engagement with governments in 2025, stressing that such could be actualised by identifying regular pathways for the youth wanting to go abroad.

He added, “Going shouldn’t be the panacea and the only solution. We want to engage the private sector employer in the country toward improving conditions of work and on availability of employment.

“To ensure employability, skills acquisition and vocational training through private sector engagement like Cisco, so we can do it wherever people are. We are focused on Borno for the time being, on people who have been displaced. 

“We can increase their capacity to actually value and make them reintegrate into society in Nigeria. This is another priority which will remain and my departing as head of mission is just on an individual basis.”

He restated his readiness to sustain the organisation’s planned programme by working closely with government on measures designed to tackle issues that affect internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Mr Boeck said, “When I reached Nigeria almost two years ago, there was a very high focus on North-East for the situation of high displacement. It a little bit shadowed the displacement in the North-West, North-Central with an effect on the population and assessment of the situation of the people in accessing basic services in the regions.

“During that period, I basically advocated government and the international community support for peace and reconciliation, and mitigation measures that resulted in the establishment of our office in Katsina and Benue.”

The IOM chief added, “We started assessing and working with the government in Kano. We have received and discussed very positively with Zamfara, Sokoto, as well as received interest from Niger state.

“We have been called by Enugu and Plateau, where we are about to embark on new activity and support displaced people. We have looked at quantity and quality on ways to displacement.” 

(NAN)