Calabar To Host JIFORM Summit

Yemisi Izuora

The Migration Control Services Agency (MCA), Cross River State in collaboration with the Journalists International Forum For Migration (JIFORM) is set to host a one-day migration stakeholders forum  on April 22, 2021 at the Transcorp Hotel, Calabar.

Ajibola Abayomi, President of JIFORM comprising over 300 journalists spread across the continents covering migration matters disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

The event themed ‘utilizing the gains of migration to advance economic development in Nigeria’ will have Professor Michael Okom, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of University of Calabar as the guest speaker.

The stakeholders forum is a fallout of a pact on migration matters signed by both bodies at the African Migration Summit organized by JIFORM in partnership with the Nekotech Center of Excellence in Ghana to bring about more benefits to the state and Nigeria.

At the occasion, the Governor of Cross River State, Professor Benedict Ayade bagged the African Leadership Award for his numerous supports for migration related issues and developments.

The MCA established by the governor in 2020 is the first state owned migration agency in Nigeria and the entire sub-Saharan Africa.

As part of the contribution to promote regular, save and orderly migration, Prince Michael Nku Abuo Wellington, the Director General of the MCA disclosed that a road-map on decent jobs in the Gulf nations and work-study programmes with numerous opportunities in Canada, Europe, United States for the Nigerian youths among others would be launched.

According to him, the programmes were being geared towards furthering the understanding of migration dynamics to achieving economic sustainability in order to address unemployment and security challenges targeted at widening the net of remittances to Nigeria.

Other bodies expected at the summit are traditional rulers, religious bodies, students, market women, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Nigeria, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Nigeria Immigration Service, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) and other international personalities.