NIGERIA AND GERMANY HAVE ESTABLISHED A MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER IN NASARAWA TO FACILITATE CONTROLLED LABOR MIGRATION.
Nigeria and Germany have collaboratively inaugurated a Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in Ado, Nasarawa State, with the aim of facilitating controlled labor migration within Nigeria.
Mrs. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, characterized the establishment of the center as a significant achievement in the partnership with the German Government and the German Center for International Cooperation (GiZ).
The minister highlighted the center’s role in providing guidance on legal migration to Europe or within the region for employment or education. Additionally, it assists Nigerians returning from abroad in reintegrating into Nigerian society.
“We consider the center necessary due to the economic, political, and demographic facts which suggest that we are in the age of growing migration pressure.
“The Federal Ministry of Labour in partnership with GiZ, Centre for Migration Development (CMD), established the MRC in Ado. “This is an advisory center for people wishing to migrate to Europe or within their region via regular channels to work or continue their education outside their countries.
“It is also an advisory center for people who have returned from Germany, Europe, or other countries and need support for reintegration to Nigeria.”
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment highlighted the program’s success since its inception in 2018, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The program has provided individual support measures to a total of 320,000 beneficiaries, with outcomes including employment placements, business startup support, and education and qualification measures.
Onyejeocha emphasized the significance of Migrant Resource Centers (MRCs) in facilitating orderly and regular labor migration pathways to Germany and other European countries. She stressed that MRCs would also promote employment-generating activities for Nigerian youths.
The collaboration between Nigeria and Germany is expected to further encourage regular labor migration pathways through Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements (BLMAs) or Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). The minister proposed the establishment of new MRCs in various geopolitical zones of Nigeria to support this effort.
Svenja Schulze, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, highlighted the cooperation between the Nigerian and German governments to ensure successful migration. She emphasized that migration should be seen as a reality to be managed for the benefit of all, rather than a problem to be fought against. Schulze underscored that migration promotes economic prosperity and strengthens trade relationships between countries, benefiting all parties involved.
News Reporter: Caleb Obiowo
News Sources: Nairametrics
