Awareness Raising Officer, International Organisation of Migration (Nigeria), Cyprine Cheptepkeny, says over 18,079 irregular Nigerian migrants in Libya and other European countries willing to return home have been helped by the organisation between 2017 and October 2019.
He said this on Friday in Benin, Edo State, at the media launch of the Waka-Well campaign programme.
Cheptepkeny, who said it was in collaboration with the Federal Government under the EU-IOM joint initiative, noted that 42 per cent of the returnees were from Edo State.
He stated, “In Nigeria, from April 2017 till October 2019, IOM in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria under the EU-IOM joint initiative has assisted about 18,079 irregular migrants to return to Nigeria from Libya and other transit and destination countries in Europe.
“Edo alone accounts for 42 per cent of this number. IOM decided to launch the campaign on the ills associating with irregular migration in Oredo and the Ikpoba-Okha local government areas of the state because of its prevalence in the aforementioned areas.”
She said the essence of the campaign was to bridge the knowledge gaps on regular migration options and the available opportunities in Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha LGAs.
She disclosed that it was developed in collaboration with community members from the two local government areas through a series of participatory workshops.
Earlier in her welcome address, Head of Benin Sub-Office of IOM Nigeria, Wintana Tarekgn, said Waka-Well by the IOM project was the IOM’s innovative multimedia campaign in West Africa with a specific focus on Nigeria and Guinea.
SOURCE: The Punch
