BENIN CITY – The Awareness Raising Officer, International Organization of Migration, (IOM) Nigeria, Cyprine Cheptepkeny, weekend, said 18,079 Nigerians were brought back from Libya and other transit and destination countries in Europe to Nigeria between April 2017 and October 2019 by the IOM in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria under the EU-IOM joint initiative.
She disclosed this at the Media launch of the ‘Waka Well’ campaign programme in Benin City.
Cheptepkeny disclosed that Edo State accounted for 42 percent of the 18,079 returnees.
“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 returned migrants to return to Nigeria from Libya and other transit and destination countries in Europe.
“Edo state alone accounts for 42 percent of this number”, she said.
The Awareness Raising Officer, Cheptepkeny, said the 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 owing to what she described as its prevalence in the aforementioned areas.
She maintained that the essence of the campaign is to bridge the knowledge gaps on regular migration options and the available opportunities in Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha adding that it was developed in collaboration with community members from the two local government areas through a series of participatory workshops.
On her part, Head of Benin Sub-Office IOM Nigeria, Wintana Tarekgn said Waka Well by the IOM X project is the International Organization for Migration’s innovative multimedia campaign in West Africa, with a specific focus on Nigeria and Guinea that seeks to prevent exploitation by empowering young people to make informed decisions about their future both at home and abroad.
