Civil Society groups in Bayelsa State led by the DO Foundation have intensified campaigns against the decision by Nigerian youths to embark on illegal migration to countries overseas otherwise known as the JAPA syndrome, urging them to embrace the gainful alternatives and opportunities available at home.
The campaign tagged, “Japa Youth Project: Voices of the Unheard” was initiated by the Do Foundation and supported by other human rights and non-governmental organisations in Bayelsa State including Chevah Development Initiative, National Association of Nurses and Midwives, Lady Pharmacists Association of Bayelsa State, Association of Female Professional Engineers, Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum, Albinism Association of Nigeria, among others.
The campaign is also supported by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The initiator and founder of the Dise Ogbise (DO) Foundation, Dr Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry, said the campaign was initiated to address issues associated with illegal migration of Nigerian youths, the rush among youths into cultism, cybercrime, drug abuse and many others.
She noted with concern that scores of youths have lost their lives while embarking on illegal migration stressing that “many Nigerian youths have died while others have been lured into drug trafficking, human trafficking, human parts harvesting and destruction of so many lives.”
Goddy Harry also added that the foundation alongside its partners have created a fallback mechanism for youths through capacity building by introducing various skill acquisitions to discourage illegal migration.
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