The Journalists International Forum For Migration (JIFORM) has applauded the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for its impacts on Nigerians in the last 20 years.
President of JIFORM, Ajibola Abayomi, congratulated the management and staff of the United Nations agency for improving the migration policies, administration, media capacity, among several other interventions in the country.
According to Ajibola, the 20 years of IOM have improved several government agencies that include the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM) and many non governmental organisations including JIFORM.
Exposure to training
Specifically for the Nigerian media, the Journalists forum noted that “the media have benefited tremendously from various technical and knowledge exchanges through seminars and exposure to trainings for journalists both within and outside Nigeria.
On catering for the plight of internally displaced migrants in the country, JIFORM was quoted as saying; “interventions in North East are well noted with provisions for the internally displaced persons. Through the IOM Assisted Voluntary Return and Reinitergration (AVRR) many stranded Nigerian-migrants have been rescued from abroad, lives were saved and schemes were put in place to touch lives for better. Now we know better that the best way to migrate is through Safe, Orderly and Regular channels.”
Accordingly, the Journalists forum is compiling a compendium on testimonies to the IOM good deeds, with a promise to partner with IOM in areas of development.
The IOM was established in Nigeria after the Nigerian Government signed Cooperation Pact with the agency in 2001 on migration issues relating to technical assistance, rehabilitation of returnees and persons returned abroad, migrant health services, counter human trafficking and other areas.
Lateefah /Qasim
