Thursday, 28th March 2024
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Firm tackles irregular migration with skills empowerment

A media and investment company, Footprint to Africa has announced plans to equip victims of irregular migration and human trafficking with vocational skills, noting that the move will help them get integrated back into the society. The Chief Executive Officer, Footprint to Africa, Osita Okparaugo, explained that plans are underway to set up migration parks…

Footprint to Africa team

A media and investment company, Footprint to Africa has announced plans to equip victims of irregular migration and human trafficking with vocational skills, noting that the move will help them get integrated back into the society.

The Chief Executive Officer, Footprint to Africa, Osita Okparaugo, explained that plans are underway to set up migration parks in two different regions in Africa to train the victims on vocational skills to make them self reliant.

Okparaugo during a walk against irregular migration and human trafficking in Lagos said the initiative is a different strategy to create awareness of the negative effects of irregular migration and human trafficking on people and the economy at large.

In his words: “Illegal migration and human trafficking have become a very big problem for Africa today.

This is a first of several walks that will be held in several cities in Africa. The next walk will be held in December in Mozambique.

We have seen that people learn differently. Enough of the paper talks because this will not stop irregular migration.

“We have to run awareness campaigns such as this to teach Africans about the dangers of illegal migration and human trafficking.

We want to engage with the rural area, churches, mosques, and schools to make people understand that irregular migration and human trafficking is killing the best of Africa.”

“We have a coalition of 33 agencies across Africa that has signed on to this and we have an extensive network all over Africa doing the same thing simultaneously.

We are going to set up a migration park where people who feel rejected in the society will be trained on different vocational skills to make them self reliant.

We are setting two migration parks in two different African regions.”

Also speaking at the event, the Director General, Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), Joyce Akpata, added that the chamber is partnering Footprint to Africa to create awareness about illegal migration and human trafficking, stressing that the menace has been on the increase despite several efforts by the government.

“We still find more of youths seeking greener pastures abroad. We feel that there are opportunities in the country rather than going abroad to be turned into slaves.

If they tap into the opportunities we have here, there would not be a reason to leave the shores of the country.

“The government must focus on creating jobs for the young population; a lot of graduates come out of the universities with no jobs to sustain them.

The federal government must also create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive,” she added.

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