Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, expressed the government’s commitment to partnering with the International Organization for Migration to ensure the safe return, resettlement, and reintegration of irregular and stranded migrants from the state.
Governor Mbah stated, “We will have a transit camp where they can stay and undergo counseling and get reintegrated.”
Governor Mbah affirmed the government’s readiness to assist the IOM in establishing a zonal office in Enugu, streamlining the return process for migrants to be rehabilitated locally instead of being relocated to other states.
He emphasized, “I think they should be brought back to Enugu, and we should be able to have at least a transit camp where they can stay and undergo counseling and get reintegrated.”
Highlighting the effectiveness of the state’s radical social programs, Governor Mbah stressed that these initiatives would equip returnees with essential skills for sustainable livelihoods.
He noted, “We have several radical programs in the social services sector that will impact the lives of our people, including such returnees.”
The governor’s remarks were made on Monday during a meeting with a delegation from IOM in Nigeria, led by Chief of Mission Laurent De Boeck, at the Government House in Enugu.
Commending the IOM’s efforts, Governor Mbah said, “As a government, we are quite ready to collaborate with you in the areas of integration of these victims and also those who may just be stranded abroad and interested in coming back home.”
Expressing readiness for collaboration, Governor Mbah welcomed the prospect of a zonal office in Enugu, aligning with the IOM’s interests.
He also expressed enthusiasm about partnering with the IOM to harness the positive aspects of migration, saying, “We believe that there are quite a lot of values that the diasporans can bring to our economy beyond remittances for consumption.”
In response, IOM Chief of Mission Laurent De Boeck commended Enugu’s proactive approach and shared the organization’s focus on facilitating the return and reintegration of individuals who had left the country.
De Boeck pledged the IOM’s support in tapping into successful Nigerians in diaspora, stating, “We have returned 350 people so far to Enugu. Our offices in Libya and Niger Republic are where we have identified most of them.”
As part of efforts to deter irregular migration, De Boeck outlined the organization’s strategy to assist Nigerians in migrating abroad under safe and dignified conditions. He also assured the Mbah administration of the IOM’s readiness to assist in tapping into diaspora resources, saying, “We will look at the manifest to know if there is still any person from Enugu State among them, and we will activate their return.”
