Nigeria and Germany have established a Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in Ado, Nasarawa State, to promote regular labour migration in Nigeria.
At the commissioning of the centre on Tuesday, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, said this was another milestone in the partnership with the German Government and German centre for international cooperation (GiZ).
According to her, “we consider the centre necessary due to the economic, political and demographics facts which suggested that we are in the age of growing migration pressure.
“The Federal Ministry of Labour in partnership with GiZ, Centre for Migration Development (CMD), established the MRC in Ado.
“This is an advisory centre for people wishing to migrants to Europe or within their region via regular channels to work or continue their education outside their countries.
“It is also an advisory centre for people who have returned from Germany, Europe or other countries and need support for reintegration to Nigeria,” she said.
She added that the event would afford the opportunity to showcase the achievements recorded over the years with the valued cooperation with GIZ and possible areas of collaboration between Nigeria and Germany.
According to her, “it’s remarkable to note that within the framework of this collaboration and with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, we have recorded significant achievements.
“These are in the areas of review and validation of the National Policy on Labour Migration 2014; awareness creation on the dangers of irregular migration; and implementation of employment promotion activities.
“We also made progress in entrepreneurship training and business start-up support, social and economic reintegration of return migrants, outreach and sensitisation programmes amongst others.”
Onyejeocha also said that within this collaborative framework since the inception of the programme in 2018 to date, a total of 320,000 beneficiaries had been provided with individual support measures.
“Some 37,600 beneficiaries have been placed in employment, while 53,300 beneficiaries were provided with business startups and 87,445 beneficiaries were provided with education and qualification measures.
“Also, 63,500 individual counseling have been provided while, 9,750 beneficiaries were provided with psychosocial support accordingly,” she said.
The Minister also said the importance of the MRCs was to ensure Orderly and Regular Labour Migration pathways to Germany and other European countries.
She added that MRCs would encourage employment generation activities for the teaming Nigerian youths.
“Thus, it is our expectation that the Federal Republic of Germany and Nigeria will promote labour exchange through Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements (BLMAs) of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further encourage regular labour migration pathways for the benefit of Nigeria and Germany.
“In this regard, due consideration should be given to the establishment of new MRCs in the South-East (Enugu), NorthWest (Kano), South-West (Ibadan), North-Central (Benue) and North-East (Bauchi) geopolitical zones of Nigeria respectively,” she said.
Also speaking, Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State commended the German government for the establishment of the centre in the state.
Sule, represented by his deputy, Mr Emmanuel Akabe, said the establishment of the centre would address the menace of illegal migration, regular migration, employability training, career counseling and other services in line with its mandate.
He said the centre was aimed at providing basic guide for migrants and ensuring their protection and reintegration, while empowering them towards contributing to national development.
“The MRC is also to provide humanitarian and essential services with a view to make informed decision that will minimise the risk associated with migration.
“It is also to ensure maximum benefits for sustainable growth and socio-economic development.
“It is pertinent to state that Nigeria, like any other country in the world has significant number of its citizens migrating to various parts of the world in search of better opportunities.
“These migrations often times are associated with hurdles on one hand and opportunities on the other.
“It is for this reason that it behooves on government at all levels to evolve measures towards addressing the issue of illegal migration,” he said.
In the same vein, Ms Svenja Schulze, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, said the cooperation between the Nigerian and the German governments was to make migration successful.
“Migration is a fact. Not a problem that the society needs to fight. Migration is a reality that needs to be shaped so that it benefits everyone.
“The Migrant Resource Center is where people come with their hopes, dreams and skills. Where they get information about work and training opportunities in Nigeria and in Germany.
“People who are returning from Europe can get support here in starting their new lives and people who are thinking about working abroad can learn about the options for legal migration to Germany,” he said.
She, therefore, said that migration promotes economic prosperity and deepens trade relationships between countries and these effects of migration would benefit all the paties involved.