By Barth Ikiebe
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has asvised youths against embarking on irregular migration, enumerating the inherent dangers.
Olawande made the appeal on Friday in Abeokuta during a campaign and awareness creation on the effects of irregular migration for youths in Southern zones.
The Minister, represented by the Director in charge of Migration and Climate Change, Mrs Grace Lelea, noted that migration, in its legal and regulated form, remains natural part of human development.
He explained that irregular migration, which occured outside legal frameworks and regulatory norms of countries, presented a significant risk to lives, communities and national development.
The Minister added that, sadly, growing number of young people were driven into irregular migration due to factors such as conflicts, economic hardship, unemployment, insecurity, national disasters and unrealistic allure of opportunities abroad.
“It is a troubling phenomenon that our young people, driven by ambition, hope and sometimes desperation, embark on deadly voyages across deserts and seas.
“Unfortunately, the Mediterranean sea has become a graveyard for many, and countless others fall victim to human trafficking, organ harvesting and modern day slavery,” he said.
Olawande stressed that the federal government remained committed to reversing the trend.
He said that through the ministry in collaboration with key MDAs and development partners, it has rolled out several strategic empowerment and intervention programmes for youths.
The minister explained that the programmes were designed to empower Nigerian youth with skills, resources and support systems they need to thrive and contribute meaningfully to national development.
He described the youth as one of the greatest assets that any nation could have, saying they represented the greatest investment for a country’s sustainable development.
“No government effort can succeed in isolation. Youth development is a shared responsibility.
Let us commit ourselves to build an enabling environment that nurtures the dreams and aspirations of our young people,”he said.
In his remarks, Ogun Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Wasiu Isiaka, lauded the Federal government for the initiative .
Isiaka, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Lanre Ogunyinka, noted that it was important to sensitise and create awareness on dangers associated with irregular migration.
The Commissioner said that the state government under the leadership of Gov. Dapo Abiodun remained passionate about youth development and would continue to discourage irregular migration through various empowerments and interventions.
In her remarks, Representative of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mrs Abosede Jimoh, opined that the youth are most affected by irregular migration and human trafficking.
“People should pass through right channel while traveling and also have the knowledge of where you are going before embarking on any journey,” she said.
