By Oluwaseun Sonde
The Head of Lagos Sub-office and Senior Programme Coordinator, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Victor Lutenco has said that partnering Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM), will build legal pathways for regular migration which has become pertinent and inevitable.
Lutenco disclosed this during a visit to the Chiarman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa in Abuja on Tuesday, contained in statement signed by the Commission Media Unit, Gabriel Odu.
IOM Programme Chief stated that the visit to NIDCOM is focused on dealing with emergency situations, humanitarian context, consequences of irregular migration, and trying to provide assistance in terms of rehabilitation and reintegration.
In his words, "building opportunities for legal pathways for migration, so that we reduce the causes, attack the problem at its core, one of important factors that can contribute towards building those pathways are Nigerians in diaspora".
Dr Sule Yakubu Bassi, Secretary to the Commission who received the delegation on behalf of the NiDCOM Boss said IOM is a great friend and partner to the commission helping with some of the commission's programs right from inception such as midwifing the publication of the National Diaspora Policy, training of Pioneer Staff of NIDCOM, among others;
Dr Bassi added that NiCOM was set up primarily to engage with Nigerians in the Diaspora, saying the Diaspora phenomena is the product of regular migration.
According to him, "there are several overlaps because some irregular migrants sometimes end up to be regular migrants, and sometimes, regular migrants end up also to be irregular migrants".
The NIDCOM Secretary also said that with an estimated number of about 17 million Nigerians in the Diaspora making the country proud in all their endeavors such as Agriculture, medicine, ICT, Movies, Real Estate, Education and many others.
He apreciated IOM for their technical partnership and like the proverbial Oliver Twist, requested for even stronger and more robust engagement with the International Organisation for Migration moving forward premised on mutuality and reciprocity.
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