The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA has received another batch of 144 stranded Nigerians, from Niamey, Niger Republic.
The Coordinator NEMA, Kano Territorial Office, Dr. Nuradeen Abdullahi, made this known while receiving the returnees at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State.
Dr. Nurudeen said the returnees were brought back, under the care of the International Organisation for Migration, IOM through a voluntary repatriation programme.
He explained that the program was for the distressed, who had left the country to seek greener pastures in various European countries and could not afford to return when their journey became frustrated.
Those repatriated include 106 males, 16 females and 22 children from Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Abia, Sokoto and Edo states among other others.
Skills Acquisition
Dr. Nurudeen, who was represented by NEMA Kano Head of Human Resources, Suleiman Sa’ad-Abubakar, said the returnees would be trained on various skills acquisition programs and would be given startup capital to become self-reliant.
One of the returnees, a widow and mother of two, Fatima Muhammed, said she travelled to Algeria and regretted embarking on the ill-fated journey.
“No one to cater for me and my children, that was why I decided to leave the country,” she said.
NEMA had between February and March 2023, received 300 stranded Nigerians from Niamey Niger Republic.
Confidence Okwuchi
