Nigeria has called for the promotion of labour exchange between her and the Republic of Germany through bilateral labour migration agreements (MLMAs).
The Minister of State of Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, made the call on Tuesday in Karu, Nasarawa State, in north-central Nigeria, during the commissioning of the Migration Resource Centre MRC located at Ado, Nasarawa State, built in collaboration between the two governments.
The Minister said that the Memorandum of Understanding would further encourage regular labour migration pathways for the benefit of Nigeria and Germany.
The Resource Centre, according to the Minister, was established by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in 2023 to promote regular labour migration in Nigeria.
“It may also interest you to note that this MRC, which is the fourth in the series set up by the Ministry in Nigeria, was established with the technical and financial support of GiZ within the framework of the Centre for Migration and Development ZME Project currently being implemented by GiZ in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Nigeria.
“Let me use this opportunity to sincerely acknowledge the continuous support of the German Government to Nigeria and the German Development Cooperation (GiZ) for establishing the Nigerian-German Centre for Migration and Development (NGC) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE) within the framework of the Partnership Agreement signed between GIZ and FMLE under the Global Programme, Migration for Development (PME), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development,” she said.
Onyejeocha said that the event was another milestone in Nigeria’s “cherished” collaboration and partnership with the German Government and GiZ, as the occasion of their visit and commissioning of the Centre will afford the nation the opportunity to showcase the achievements recorded over the years in her cooperation with GIZ and to discuss other possible areas of collaboration between Nigeria and Germany.
“At this juncture, it is remarkable to note that within the framework of this collaboration and with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, we have recorded significant achievement in the areas of capacity building for staff of the Ministry: review and validation of the National Policy on Labour Migration 2014; awareness creation on the dangers of irregular migration; implementation of employment promotion and the activities.
“Worthy of note within this collaborative framework is that from the inception of the programme in 2018 till date, a total of 320.000 beneficiaries have been provided with individual support measures. 37,600 beneficiaries have been placed in employment; 53.300 beneficiaries were provided with business start-ups, while 87.445 beneficiaries were provided with education and qualification measures.”
The Minister then called for the promotion of Sale, Orderly and Regular Labour Migration pathways to Germany and other European countries, as well as employment generation activities for the teaming Nigerian youths.
“Thus, it is our expectation that the Federal Republic of Germany and Nigeria will promote labour exchange through bilateral labour migration agreements (BLMAs) of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further encourage regular labour migration pathways for the benefit of Nigeria and Germany.
“In this regard, due consideration should be given to the establishment of new MRCs in the south-east of Enugu}. North-West (Kano), South-West (Ibadan), North-Central (Benue) and North-East (Bauchi) geopolitical zones of Nigeria, respectively, she said.
In her address, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Svenja Schulze, said that migration is a reality that needs to be shaped so that it benefits everyone, including the people who migrate, the countries of origin, and the host communities.
She believes that the Resource Centre will be a one-stop shop for information for both intending and returning migrants.
“Migration is a fact, not a problem, that we as a society need to fight… Here, at this very Migrant Resource Centre, we can see and experience this reality. Here, the anonymous phenomenon of “migration” has a face—in fact, many faces—because this is where people come with their hopes, dreams and skills. Where they get information about work and training opportunities in Nigeria, in the wider region, and Germany.
“People who are returning from Europe can get support here in starting their new lives and people who are thinking about working abroad can learn about the options for legal migration to Germany.”
Highlighting the advantages of migration, the German Minister said that it leads to new ideas and innovation through exchange and shared learning, promotes economic prosperity and deepens
trade relationships between countries, adding that “these effects of migration benefit all the parties involved.”
She said that the cooperation between the Nigerian and German governments is all about making migration successful and stressed the need for shared experiences, challenges and the success of Nigeria’s migration story, which she hopes the centre will address.
“Over the past few years, these Nigerian-German centres have gained an excellent reputation for their services and support in all questions relating to migration and employment.
“I would like to thank our Nigerian partners for this great cooperation; here in Nigeria, the centres are integrated into the existing structure of services around migration and employment offered by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
“Looking at the close network that has been established and the synergies that have been created, I think we can learn from this best practice example and apply those lessons to migration centres in other countries around the world,” Ms Schulze said.
For the Nasarawa State government where the Centre is located, the State Deputy Governor, Dr Emmanuel Akabe who attended the commissioning, assured that the State Government will continue to respect the rights of migrants, saying that they bring with them a wealth of experience, skills and knowledge that can contribute to the overall development of the state and the country at large.
“It is pertinent to state that Nigeria, like any other country in the world, has a significant number of its citizens migrating to various parts of the world in search of better opportunities.
“These migrations are often associated with hurdles on the one hand and opportunities on the other. It is for this reason that it behoves the government at all levels to evolve measures towards addressing the issue of illegal migration,” he said.
According to a 2022 World Migration Report by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), there are an estimated 281 million people across the world who are living in different countries than the one in which they were born.
About 169 million of them, according to the report, leave their country to secure a livelihood elsewhere.
In an interview with Voice of Nigeria, Mr James Eustace, the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC Focal Person on Migration, commended Nigeria and Germany for the collaboration, adding that such a partnership is the way forward if the world will ever see the end of irregular migration.
He, however, advised that the Migration Resource Centre should not be left as an edifice alone but “must be put to proper use for the benefit of would-be and returning migrants.”
Among the dignitaries that graced the occasion were the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Etsu Karu and the Parliamentary State Secretary to Germany’s Minister of Economic Cooperation Development.
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