The federal government has hinted at a plan to begin a nationwide sensitisation drive to discourage illegal migration by Nigerian youths and to promote awareness about safer, structured labour migration pathways.
Minister of labour and employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed this in Abuja during a meeting with a delegation from the Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Germany, which is in Nigeria to advance cooperation on legal labour migration.
Dingyadi said the planned campaign would highlight the dangers of irregular migration and inform the public about emerging opportunities for legal employment abroad through government-approved frameworks.
“We are trying to put in place an efficient publicity to discourage people from going into that and to show them why we should not go into illegal migration because facilities are being provided for legalizing this migration and if we do it both of us stand to benefit from this exercise,” he said.
The minister welcomed the German delegation, noting that it was the second such engagement within a short period, and expressed satisfaction with the growing collaboration on the dual vocational training initiative being coordinated by the chamber.
The pilot phase, he said, involves 18 young Nigerians selected for placement in Germany. He recognised the programme as a model for youth empowerment and skills development.
Dingyadi stressed that Nigeria’s vast youth population presents both a challenge and an opportunity, urging international partners to expand capacity-building programmes.
“Please I encourage you to do more in this area because we have so many young men and women out there looking for skills so that we can reduce the level of unemployment in our country,” he said.
Leader of the German delegation and chief executive officer of the Giessen-Friedberg Chamber, Dr Matthias Leder, said the visit was to formally invite the minister to the unveiling of the 18 Nigerians selected to commence their training in Germany.
“We have already started this prototype. Out of 300 young Nigerians we invited them to participate in a two-stage competition and we selected 18, who are now learning German.
The good news is that they have passed the most difficult stage, the A1 level of German and we are going to celebrate them on November 12 in Lagos. We are here to formally invite you to the occasion,” he said.
Leder said the chamber’s mission was to provide viable alternatives to irregular migration, which continues to endanger the lives of young Africans seeking opportunities abroad.
He added that learning the German language and undergoing certified training remain key steps for Nigerians aspiring to work in Germany.
“Our focus is to discourage illegal migration through dangerous routes. Those wishing to migrate to Germany can invest in learning the German language and prepare themselves for the dual vocational training system,” he added.
