Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has called for stronger collaboration among governments, development partners and other stakeholders to promote safe, orderly and regular migration.

Otti made the call at Government House, Umuahia, while declaring open the inaugural South-East Migration Dialogue 2026. He urged participants to translate the National Migration Framework into practical outcomes that would benefit people across the region.

The dialogue, organised by the Civil Society Network on Migration and Development (CSoNetMADE), was themed, “Partnership for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.”

The South-East Coordinator of CSoNetMADE, Jeto Nwadi, said the dialogue was not simply about the movement of people but an issue closely linked to livelihoods, development, labour mobility, family welfare and reunification, climate change, human rights, and the aspirations of young and older people.

“The dialogue brought together policymakers, migration experts, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to deliberate on migration issues, share evidence-based policy solutions and strengthen regional cooperation for sustainable development,” Nwadi said.

Otti, who was represented by his Deputy, Chief Ikechukwu Emetu, stressed the need for a result-oriented outcome from the dialogue, saying migration must be orderly, lawful and protected, while ensuring social cohesion and opportunities for host communities.

According to him, migration rules should be implemented in practice rather than merely existing on paper, with clear identification of who should act, what should be done and when.

“The states do not seek to supplant the constitutional responsibilities of the Federal Government in immigration and foreign affairs, but rather complement national policy through state-level skills development, data, investment, facilitation, migration protection and diaspora engagement,” Otti said.

The governor cautioned against a system that allows people to travel without the necessary skills, protection, strategy or connection to their home communities.

He said the South-East should not merely seek the success of its people abroad, but ensure that such success contributes to the prosperity of their home communities and Nigeria.

Otti urged participants to pursue five practical outcomes from the dialogue: developing a regional framework, building digital skills, promoting safe migration, strengthening diaspora development and protection, and supporting the reintegration of returnees.

He said Abia State was already implementing initiatives along these lines.

The governor applauded the organisers for convening the dialogue, describing it as timely, particularly at a period when migration had become “not merely a matter of human mobility, but a strategic question of human capital, economic development, national security, and international opportunity.”

Otti’s wife, Priscilla Otti, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Uche Eme-Uche, recalled the painful experiences of young people deceived by traffickers, families losing their life savings to irregular migration agents, and migrants facing detention, death in deserts and dangerous journeys across the seas.

She said the need to confront such realities made the South-East Migration Dialogue particularly important.
She called for stronger collaboration among governments, civil society organisations, development partners and other stakeholders to safeguard the safety, dignity and welfare of Nigerians on the move.

In his keynote address, the Director-General of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Dr Aliyu Tijani-Ahmed, commended Otti for hosting the dialogue, describing the decision as a demonstration of his commitment to responsible migration governance, protection of vulnerable persons and sustainable reintegration of returning migrants.

Tijani-Ahmed also commended the governor for disbursing N1 million to each identified Abia indigene who returned to the state following the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Explaining the significance of the dialogue, Tijani-Ahmed said it provided, for the first time, a regional platform for stakeholders from the five South-East states to examine migration issues affecting the region and develop practical solutions.

He said the South-East had unique migration experiences, including significant internal and international mobility, a strong diaspora presence, irregular migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and return migration.
“These realities underscore the need for a dialogue of this nature,” he said.

Tijani-Ahmed said the initiative represented an important step towards decentralising migration governance in Nigeria, stressing that decentralisation did not mean fragmenting national migration policy.
Rather, he said, it meant translating national commitments into coordinated action at the state and local levels.

Speaking separately, the representative of the Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Dr Ukamaka Osigwe Anyamaechi; the Country Director of the International Returns and Reintegration Assistance (IRARA), Mr Roland Nwoha; and the National Coordinator of CSONetMADE, Dr Emeka Obiezu, highlighted the South-East’s migration history and the contributions of its diaspora.

They stressed the need for stronger partnerships to provide accurate migration information, protect migrants, expand skills and employment opportunities, and support the reintegration of returnees.
They commended the Abia State Government for hosting the dialogue and praised Otti’s achievements in the state.