Ten alternatives to irregular migration for Nigerians
Ten alternatives to irregular migration for Nigerians
As the Libya migrant crisis revealed, irregular migration is an increasingly dangerous choice, with ever fewer chances of success. As a consequence, more Nigerian migrants now decide to return home. The good news is, there are new opportunities for young Nigerians looking for success in their motherland. What are they? And what about Nigerians looking for a legal way to travel to Europe?
Here, you will learn about seven new opportunities for Nigerians in terms of employment and livelihood, as well as three legal migration avenues to Europe, which you may not have heard of before.
It is important to consider the options for investing money at home rather than for irregular migration as a way of building skills and improving the economic situation of would-be migrants. There are also legal ways to travel to Europe which can be cheaper, safer and more secure.
Seven opportunities for Nigerians
There are many programmes and initiatives funded by international organisations as well as the Nigerian government that aim to support young people in their effort to secure livelihoods. These programmes range from job training to access to credit for young entrepreneurs. Here are seven of them.
The Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YEDP) supported by the Central Bank of Nigeria provides access to credit for young women and men interested in starting and building businesses in Nigeria. YEDP offers credit of up to three million naira (8,340 US dollars) for individuals or 10 million naira (27,800 US dollars) for groups of three to five at a nine percent interest rate.
The Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme is a government-funded project that supports young Nigerians in their efforts to improve agricultural productivity and engage in rural development.
The World Bank supports a Nigeria Youth Employment and Social Support Operation that increases access to livelihoods for poor and vulnerable Nigerians. The programme includes four components: strengthening social safety nets, a public welfare programme, a skills for jobs programme and a targeted cash transfer programme.
The World Bank also funds the government-run Nigeria Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, which provides jobs and internships for young Nigerians. This programme is the umbrella initiative that oversees sub-programmes including the Graduate Internship Scheme, the Community Services Scheme, the Vocational Training Scheme and Community Services, Women and Youth Empowerment, among others. More information about these initiatives is available in this report by the Brookings Institution.
The Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) offers unemployed graduates (with an undergraduate degree) internships in key sectors, including government and small and medium enterprises. In its first year, GIS had 85,000 applications and selected about 50,000 beneficiaries.
The Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme is a state-level employment programme that places participants in a wide variety of jobs – ranging from traffic controllers to sanitation and environmental officials.
The Emergency Trust Fund for Africa funds a variety of programmes aimed at supporting displaced Nigerians as well as long-term sustainable development. There are currently seven ongoing projects in Nigeria worth nearly 80 million euros. Programme objectives include promoting access to livelihoods, improving the quality of available services and enhancing community safety.
3 legal migration avenues to Europe
There are several legal migration options for Nigerians to live, study or work in Europe.
The European Union Blue Card Work Visa Scheme. The European Union (EU) has a scheme to bring in talent from other countries such as Nigeria called the EU Blue Card Scheme. In 2016 the scheme was reviewed and while it still focuses on high-skilled migrants, the salary threshold has been lowered, making it more accessible to potential migrants. Blue cards are available to those who have specific expertise in an area such as information technology or academic research. This route has the advantage of ensuring migrants have a job secured in advance and are able to travel safely and legally.
Family reunification. If a direct family member has refugee status or legal permanent residency in a European country, it is possible that a spouse, parent or child might be able to join them.
Student visas. Those accepted into a European university who can pay the fees can apply for a student visa allowing them to study, travel and work (part-time). Tuition fees can be cheaper than irregular migration. A bachelor’s degree at the University of Amsterdam, for example, costs around 9,000 euros.
Know the risks, consider alternatives
Reports and testimonies from Nigerian migrants revealed the real cost of the journey to Europe when traveling irregularly. Knowing the burden it has become for irregular migrants and their families – many have been left with nothing – one may want to consider other options before risking one’s life on a perilous attempt to reach and stay in Europe without a visa.
Have you ever considered migrating in the ECOWAS region? It is safer, cheaper and legal for Nigerians to go to countries in the ECOWAS region which includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Considering heading to North Africa and then crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe? There are five risks you should be aware of before making this decision. You will also find a detailed description of the living conditions for Nigerian migrants at each step of the journey here.
Did you find this information useful? Share it with friends and relatives on social media.