The Federal Government and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have reiterated the need for safe, orderly, and regular migration to protect young Nigerians from exploitation and human trafficking.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, observed that while well-managed migration builds national capacity, irregular routes expose citizens to severe abuses.

Speaking at the fifth anniversary commemoration of the Cooperation on Migration Partnerships to Achieve Sustainable Solutions (COMPASS) programme in Abuja, the minister highlighted the dangers of irregular migrants.

“When migration is safe, regular and well managed, it builds capacity for these nations and allows those who will leave to return and give back. However, irregular migration exposes many of our young people to exploitation, trafficking, abuse, and other risks that undermine human dignity,” Doro said.

To combat this, the minister stated that the government is implementing the “One Humanitarian, One Poverty” response system.

This framework, according to him, aims to coordinate assistance and move vulnerable citizens from dependency to sustainable pathways out of poverty, supported by partners like the Netherlands.

Earlier, the IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Sharon Dimanche, revealed that the COMPASS programme has supported over 9
00 vulnerable migrants with healthcare, psychosocial, and livelihood interventions over the past five years.

Dimanche said: “The challenge is not migration itself; the challenge is ensuring that migration is safe, orderly, regular, and protects the dignity of every individual.”

She commended the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for its frontline role in protecting female and youth survivors.

Meanwhile, the IOM, yesterday, paid a courtesy visit to the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the union’s secretariat in Lagos to deepen collaboration on migration reporting and journalists’ capacity development.

Leading the IOM delegation, the organisation’s Chief of Media and Communications, Rajat Madhok, said the visit was aimed at strengthening engagement with the NUJ and exploring new areas of collaboration beyond previous initiatives.

Madhok said: “We are looking at opportunities beyond what we have done in the past, because we are interested in telling the world positive stories of successful migration while also addressing the challenges associated with both regular and irregular migration.”