IRREGULAR MIGRATION: What can be done to curb it?

[D. Tola Winjobi]

IRREGULAR MIGRATION: What can be done to curb it? Irregular migration is a euphemism of illegal migration. It is a situation whereby an immigrant attempts to find or found his way into a foreign land through a dubious, crooked means. In the case of Nigeria, what informed the syndrome of many Nigerian youths to embark on irregular migration is due to poor socio-political situation prevailing in the country. Many unemployed graduates are found roaming Nigeria streets.   Apart from unemployment problems, lives and properties are not secured in Nigeria. Armed robbers are there ever threatening lives and properties. Unhealthy religious and political rivalries are convenient excurses for political opponents to settle scores, most of the time with their lives, through ethno-religious rioting and hired killer.   Another excuse for the mars rush of some Nigerians to Europe is the strong spending power of hard currency as against that of Naira. These are reports of how some Nigerian parents even financed their irregular migration of their wards, on the expectation of them transmitting pound sterling, US dollars or Euro which getting to Nigeria shall makes a lot of Naira at black market. Even the exchange rates of foreign currency at the Nigeria commercial banks are sufficient enough as incentive or bate to majority of Nigerians whose earnings are below middle level.   To put a stop to irregular migration, there is the urgent need for reinforcement of the relevant social structures like National Directorate for Employment (NDE); the Nigeria Technical Aids Corps (TAC), and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Schemes. In addition, Agricultural and agro-allied projects should be seriously addressed by all tiers of governments.   Also, all idled hands could be droved to assist in environmental sanitation activities. Through this they could earn their living and at the same time help turn Nigeria cities into clean, safe and beautiful ones. The relevance of community intervention in this regard cannot be over-emphasized. It is advisable and it shall prove rewarding if National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) should be channeled through Ward Development Committee put in place in all the 774 Local Governments of the Federation.   Alhaji Busairi Salahudden