The UN migration agency has launched a radio series in Nigeria to sensitise vulnerable people seeking to pursue economic opportunities abroad on the perils of irregular migration.
The International Organisation of Migration (IOM) said no fewer than 37,550 Nigerians arrived on Italian shores in 2016 while many more went missing or died.
The UN agency warned that migration done outside the regulated frameworks was dangerous and provided information on pathways to migrate legally and safely.
IOM said every year, thousands of people from Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African countries leave their families and homes in the hopes of finding work opportunities elsewhere.
Titled: ‘Abroad Mata’, the awareness-raising 13-episode radio series will include a radio drama titled “Waka Well” – which means “travel well” in Pidgin English.
The series also features testimonies from returning migrants, expert analysis, and live phone-in questions from listeners, IOM said.
“Many do it outside of the protected and safe international legal framework, which puts them at risk of trafficking, exploitation, detention without trial, sexual abuse, and other dangers such as dying at sea or in the desert.
“Nigeria is the most common nationality of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea into Italy. Some 37,550 Nigerians arrived on Italian shores in 2016. Many more went missing or died.
“The idea is to create awareness through the candid testimonies of returnees who have gone through the harrowing journey both at sea and through the Sahara. Read more