JIFORM salutes IOM at 20, applauds impacts on Nigerians

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Journalists International Forum For Migration (JIFORM) has applauded the impacts of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Nigerians in the last 20 years.

In a statement made available to the media in Abuja on Monday and signed by the President of JIFORM, Ajibola Abayomi, he congratulated the management and staff of the United Nations agency for helping to improve the migration policies in the country, migrant administration, media capacity among several other interventions.

The IOM was established in Nigeria after the Federal Government signed Cooperation Pact with the agency in 2001 on migration issues relating to technical assistance, rehabilitation of returnees and persons returned abroad, migrant health services, counter human trafficking and other areas.

According to JIFORM, ” the 20 years of IOM have improved several government agencies that include the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM) and many non governmental organizations including JIFORM.

“The media have benefited tremendously from various technical and knowledge exchanges through seminars and exposure to trainings for journalists both within and outside Nigeria. We say thank you for being our friend in need and indeed.

“Interventions in North East are well noted with provisions for the internally displaced persons.Through the IOM Assisted Voluntary Return and Reinitergration (AVRR) many stranded Nigerian-migrants have been rescued from abroad, lives were saved and schemes were put in place to touch lives for better. Now we know better that the best way to migrate is through Safe, Orderly and Regular channels.

“Thank you for giving the stranded migrants hope through compassion, rehabilitation and reintegration. This is humanity at work. The phycological, health and mental supports for the Nigerian-migrants were second to none. JIFORM say a very big thank you for the opportunity to advance the career of the Nigerian journalists. Our compendium on testimonies to the IOM good deeds underway. We shall continue be your friend and development partner.