The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Femi Awoniyi

  • ‘Living without legal papers abroad can be really dangerous’

    Femi Awoniyi is a co-director of the Migration Enlightenment Project Nigeria (MEPN), a Germany-based diaspora group promoting greater awareness on the risks and dangers of irregular migration in Nigeria. The journalist and publisher speaks with Joe Agbro Jr. on efforts the organisation he co-founded with a fellow journalist, is making to tackle the trend.

    You co-founded the Migration Enlightenment Project Nigeria, MEPN, with Kenneth Gbandi, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Organization Europe, NIDOE. What informed it?

    Both of us are journalists who have been reporting on migration for very many years and have been aware of the suffering of young Nigerians in the course of irregular migration. And we have in different ways been talking about the perils of irregular migration in our individual capacities for many years. After the 2015 crisis and the horrendous casualties in the Mediterranean, we decided to form an initiative and get more actively engaged in raising awareness.

    What are your group’s activities to discourage irregular migration?

    This year, we have held a series of roundtable dialogue across the country with stakeholders, such as journalists, clergy people, parents, educationists and youth groups. Our aim is to mobilise society to pay a greater attention to irregular migration due to its rising costs to the nation. We point out the risks involved and the fact of thousands of young people who have perished in the past several years. We also would like society to be aware of the precarious situation of hundreds of thousands of Nigerian irregular migrants in many nations around the world. For example, there are between 700,000 and 1 million irregular migrants stranded in Libya; most of these are West Africans.

    We are also working with the media so that they can focus on the issue of irregular migration. We believe the best way to disarm human traffickers is to provide more information to the public.

    We also provide information on opportunities for legal migration, such as for the purpose of acquiring education or training. Moreover, we advise that youths should adopt a realistic approach to migration. Simply leaving your country is not always a better alternative than staying. We advise young people not to overlook opportunities in the country in search of fleeting ones in a distant land.

    In recent years, more Africans keep drowning in the Mediterranean and dying in the Sahara, despite paying huge sums to human traffickers, yet it seems the numbers keep swelling. What do you think is responsible for this?

    We must realise that we’re dealing with well-entrenched criminal networks that live off irregular migration. This is why all stakeholders must continue to harp on the risks and dangers of irregular migration. Migration is not in every case a better alternative. If you must migrate, we encourage people to plan very well; know where you’re going, inquire about the situation there and the legal requirements for residency and so and so forth. Living without legal papers in a foreign land is not a good experience at all. So, we appeal to those wishing to travel to ensure that they do it legally and safely.

     Do you see an end to this trend of irregular migration soon?

    It would be very difficult to stop all forms of irregular migration totally. However, we believe that sustained efforts by all stakeholders will help reduce the unnecessary suffering and deaths to the barest minimum.

    What efforts are required from which stakeholders, for example?

    Awareness campaigns are very important. And it’s a duty for all of society: governments, media, educationists, youth groups, religious and community leaders etc.

    Law enforcement agencies should also continue to improve on their effectiveness in checking the activities of human traffickers. They still operate in different parts of the country to a large extent with utter impunity.

    More importantly, our governments and even our international friends should put in more resources into the training of young people, especially school-leavers and young graduates who have difficulties in entering the job market. We have observed that if you’re equipped with the right skills, you’re less likely to want to migrate irregularly because you can always find something to do. That is a fact.

    With Nigeria being touted as the poorest country in the world, some people would definitely want to leave the country at all cost. What do you think the Nigerian government can do about checking irregular migration?

    Poverty is without doubt a major factor driving irregular migration. The most important thing the government should and even must do is to ensure that peace prevails all over the country. We need to bring to an end all these criminal activities across the country. The herdsmen problem should be tackled once and for all honestly and in the interest of all concerned. The so-called bandits who have rendered some parts of the country unsafe must be severely curtailed. We can’t continue to accept unwarranted, unjustified killings perpetrated by shady groups whose objectives nobody seems to understand. These killings discourage foreign investment in the country because they portray our country as unsafe.

  • Living without legal papers abroad is not a good experience, says Femi Awoniyi

    Femi Awoniyi is a co-director of the Migration Enlightenment Project Nigeria (MEPN), a Germany-based diaspora group that is carrying out a campaign to promote a greater awareness of the risks and dangers of irregular migration in Nigeria. In an exclusive interview with Joe Agbro Jr, the journalist and publisher talks about the work of the MEPN, why society must tackle irregular migration, how jobs can be created in the country and his views on the 2019 general election.

    You co-founded the Migration Enlightenment Project Nigeria, MEPN, with Kenneth Gbandi, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Organization Europe, NIDOE. What informed it?

    Both of us are journalists who have been reporting on migration for very many years and have been aware of the suffering of young Nigerians in the course of irregular migration. And we have in different ways been talking about the perils of irregular migration in our individual capacities for many years. After the 2015 crisis and the horrendous casualties in the Mediterranean, we decided to form an initiative and get more actively engaged in raising awareness.

    What are your group’s activities to discourage irregular migration?

    This year, we have held a series of roundtable dialogue across the country with stakeholders, such as journalists, clergy people, parents, educationists and youth groups. Our aim is to mobilise society to pay a greater attention to irregular migration due to its rising costs to the nation. We point out the risks involved and the fact of thousands of young people who have perished in the past several years. We also would like society to be aware of the precarious situation of hundreds of thousands of Nigerian irregular migrants in many nations around the world. For example, there are between 700,000 and 1 million irregular migrants stranded in Libya; most of these are West Africans.

    We are also working with the media so that they can focus on the issue of irregular migration. We believe the best way to disarm human traffickers is to provide more information to the public.

    We also provide information on opportunities for legal migration such as for the purpose of acquiring education or training. Moreover, we advise that youths should adopt a realistic approach to migration. Simply leaving your country is not always a better alternative than staying. We advise young people not to overlook opportunities in the country in search of fleeting ones in a distant land.

    In recent years, more Africans keep drowning in the Mediterranean and dying in the Sahara despite paying huge sums to human traffickers, yet it seems the numbers keep swelling. What do you think is responsible for this increase?

    We believe that human traffickers are still able to deceive too many would-be migrants. We must realise that we’re dealing with well-entrenched criminal networks that live off irregular migration. This is why all stakeholders must continue to harp on the risks and dangers of irregular migration.

    And more importantly, that young people adopt a realistic attitude to migration.

    Migration is not in every case a better alternative than staying in the country.

    If you must migrate, we encourage people to plan very well; know where you’re going, inquire about the situation there and the legal requirements for residency and so and so forth. Living without legal papers in a foreign land is not a good experience at all. So, we appeal to those wishing to travel to ensure that they do it legally and safely.

    And do you see an end to this trend of irregular migration soon?

    It would be very difficult to stop all forms of irregular migration totally. However, we believe that sustained efforts by all stakeholders will help reduce the unnecessary suffering and deaths to the barest minimum.

    What efforts are required from which stakeholders, for example?

    Awareness campaigns are very important. And it’s a duty for all of society: governments, media, educationists, youth groups, religious and community leaders etc.

    Law enforcement agencies should also continue to improve on their effectiveness in checking the activities of human traffickers. They still operate in different parts of the country to a large extent with utter impunity.

    More importantly, our governments and even our international friends should put in more resources into the training of young people, especially school leavers and young graduates who have difficulties in entering the job market. We have observed that if you’re equipped with the right skills, you’re less likely to want to migrate irregularly because you can always find something to do. That is a fact.

    And with Nigeria being touted as the poorest country in the world, some people would definitely want to leave the country at all costs. What do you think the Nigerian government can do about checking irregular migration?

    Poverty is without doubt a major factor driving irregular migration. The most important thing the government should and even must do is to ensure that peace prevails all over the country. We need to bring to an end all these criminal activities across the country. The herdsmen problem should be tackled once and for all honestly and in the interest of all concerned. The so-called bandits who have rendered some parts of the country unsafe must be severely curtailed. We can’t continue to accept unwarranted, unjustified killings perpetrated by shady groups whose objectives nobody seems to understand. These killings discourage foreign investment in the country because they portray our country as unsafe.

    Without peace economic activities cannot thrive. It’s only when people can do their business, work on their farms and trade across the country without fear or danger to life and limbs that jobs and wealth can be created.

    Of course, we also need specific policies to drive investment in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing, for example. Why do we still import sugar, milk, cooking oil, salt, rice, tomato paste and wheat? We need a drastic policy to drive self-sufficiency in the local production of these items and similar ones within the shortest possible time. This will create millions of jobs.

    We already have many good policies. We need to implement them coherently to promote sustained economic growth and development.

    In all these stories of hardships due to irregular migration, has any story stood out for you? And why?

    Many! I have been inspired by stories of people who refused to break down, who kept hope alive in the worst of situations. I have read of women and men who went through unspeakable ordeals during their journey and have with sheer determination decided to rebuild their lives. That for me is the triumph of the human spirit over travails.

    Nigeria is going to the polls in February to elect a president. What is your wish for the country?

    Since we cannot vote, we in the diaspora encourage our people to scrutinise the contestants very well and make informed choices. In a nutshell, we would like to see peaceful, credible elections whose outcome should reflect the wishes of the electorates.

  • ‘Migration not only way to self-actualisation’

    ‘Migration not only way to self-actualisation’

    A German-Nigerian Journalist, Femi Awoniyi has sent a warning message to Nigerians over the dangers of illegal migration to European countries.

    Awoniyi made the declaration on Monday during a courtesy visit to The Nation Newspaper Head Office in Lagos.

    Awoniyi, who resides in Germany lamented the increasing death toll and personal tragedies that occur based on illegal migration alone. He stated that about 2500 people have died this year while crossing the Mediterranean sea.

    “Migration is an act of humanity but young people fall prey to the promises of smugglers and people who take them through the desert to Libya in a bid to cross the Mediterranean.

    “Just this year alone, 2500 people have died in numerous attempts to cross the Mediterranean or in transit countries like Libya, Chad and Northern African countries,” Awoniyi stated.

    Awoniyi, who initiated a program to enlighten Nigerians on the danger of illegal migration in Europe, encouraged Nigerians to be well informed if they ever decide to migrate.

    He warned that Migration is not the only way to self-actualisation and there are many opportunities to be considered at home before deciding to travel abroad.

  • ‘Fayemi, a future national leader’

    ‘Fayemi, a future national leader’

    Germany-based journalist Femi Awoniyi is one of the members of the Ekiti Diaspora Europe group currently in the country to campaign for the re-election of Governor Kayode Fayemi. In an exclusive interview with Sulaiman Salawudeen, the publisher of bimonthly magazine, The African Courier, talks about the role of the Ekiti diaspora in the state’s coming governorship polls and its experience on the campaign trail.

    What is the support base for Fayemi in the Ekiti diaspora like? 

    Huge, really huge. Our support for Fayemi is as enthusiastic as anything you will ever get. And not only among the Ekitis alone but also in the other sections of the Nigerian diaspora community. They are impressed by the Ekiti model of development and they see in Fayemi a national leader of the near future.

    How important does the diaspora take the coming election?

    The Ekiti diaspora has never been as engaged in an  election in Ekiti as this one because  we believe that the state has finally seen the light and should not  go back into darkness again. We also believe that the 8-point agenda of Governor Fayemi needs to be consolidated to maximise its benefits for Ekiti people.

    How? Could you please explain?

    Take the Youth-Commercial Agricultural Development Programme. If that programme is diligently pursued for four more years, we would have created in Ekiti a new generation of young educated commercial farmers. We would have then broken the jinx of educated young people not taking interest in agriculture which has been the major hindrance to the development of modern agriculture in the country. Ekiti has already become the largest producer of cassava in the country as a result of that scheme. I believe we can replicate that success in cocoa, oil palm, rice and so on. And processing industries will start setting shop here. In fact, they are already doing so.

    Another example is the Ekiti Digital Vision under which laptops were given out to students and teachers in the state and fibre optic cable for broadband access has been laid in Ado. I believe that in the next four years, we would have started seeing the fruits of a digitally native youth who will be taking their skills to the international market without having to leave the country.

    I subscribe to the governor’s vision that Ekiti can become the Bangalore of Africa. We must not underestimate how powerful an economic factor the IT sector is. India earns 65 billion US dollars annually from IT services export. According to a recent study by Ford Foundation, the size of the online work in Africa will already exceed 5 billion dollars this year. Ekiti youths can key into the sector which has a high growth potential.

    I believe Ekiti is on the right path to developing a strong basis for self-sustaining economic development. We have to stay on that path.

    In what forms are Ekitis abroad showing their interest?

    They are discussing the election at the home town association meetings and at social gatherings; by staying tuned to various news sites and discussion forums, and via social media campaigns and so on. Our group, the Ekiti Diaspora Europe 2014, is appealing to Ekitis abroad to call our people at home to encourage them to vote on 21 June and do so for Fayemi because he is the best candidate for the state.

    Why so much interest this time around?

    Remember that for more than seven years before Fayemi became governor, Ekiti knew no peace and no meaningful development took place  there because of political instability and widespread corruption. In fact, because of the insecurity that pervaded the state then, many of us stopped visiting home. And Fayemi turned the state around in less than four years. We now have peace and many things have changed for the better. We’re inspired by what he has achieved given the meagre resources available to the state.

    Besides the Fayemi factor, the increasing concerns over the direction in which Nigeria is going is another reason why Ekitis abroad are taking interest in the coming election. There is a growing realisation among the diaspora that they have a responsibility to do something for their country. There is now therefore an increasing determination [in the diaspora] to be part of the political process at home.

    How did the diaspora interest in Fayemi happen?

    The enthusiasm has been as a result of the great work he has been doing in Ekiti. Of course his pedigree as an internationally renowned activist for democracy and development also plays a role.

    I think at last Ekitis around the world feel a pride in the state’s leadership. After a long time we have somebody we can say: Yes, we are with him and he is with us. You don’t have to hang your head in shame like in the past.

    How has it been on the campaign trail so far?

    Exciting and revealing. Some youths are being misled with cash handouts by some politicians. This should be expected because of their economic vulnerability . However, the majority of Ekiti people are very conscious of the impact the achievements of the Fayemi administration have made in their lives. Most are acutely aware of what was before Fayemi came into office and what presently obtains. And people still vividly remember what the situation of the state was under his main opponent. So they can compare the two of them based on their performance in office. Our experience shows that the majority of Ekiti people are clear about what they want for the state and nobody can deceive them. That gives me confidence that they will vote right on June 21.

    What do you tell people when canvassing for Fayemi?

    We point out the amazing transformation in the state under this administration and the antecedents of Fayemi’s main opponent. We remind them of the gloomy situation of the state before Fayemi came to office. We explain where the various programmes and projects being undertaken by the government could take the state in another four years. We tell them to choose a hopeful future and reject the gloomy past. We tell our people to vote for Ekiti because a vote for Fayemi is a vote for the future of the state.

  • Choose a hopeful future, Awoniyi urges Ekiti voters

    Ekiti voters have been urged to choose a hopeful future and avoid a return to the gloomy past. The charge was made at a campaign rally in Ipole Iloro-Ekiti, in the Ekiti West Local Government area of the state, by Femi Awoniyi, convener of the Ekiti Diaspora Europe 2014.

    Addressing more than 300 inhabitants of the town at the event, Awoniyi said Ipole was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Fayemi administration reminding his listeners that the construction of the Ikogosi-Ipole-Efon road by the Fayemi government opened the town to the outside world.

    “For more than 50 years the road was the main stumbling block to our development in this town,” he said.

    He also told the gathering that the transformation of the Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort by the present administration was also impacting positively on the town. He revealed that the development of the proposed Ekiti tourism corridor, which Governor Fayemi had said would be a priority of his government in its second term, would bring a new dawn to Ipole.

    “The Arinta Water Fall will be developed into a world-class tourist destination which will boost the economy of the town and create jobs for its youths.”

    Awoniyi, the Germany-based publisher of The African Courier magazine, also cited other achievements of the Fayemi administration, including good roads all over the state, the state social security scheme for elders, free health service and provision of clean portable water, and how these have immensely improved the quality of life in the state.

    He advised Ekiti people not to listen to the forces of deceit whose antecedents of violence, mayhem and corruption clearly show that they will not improve the lot of the people if allowed to come to power.

    He instead appealed to the voters to turn out in large numbers on 21 June to re-elect Governor Fayemi so that he could continue with his people-oriented programmes which have won accolades for the scholar politician within Nigeria and world at large.

    Awoniyi, told his audience that the international community was keenly watching the election, predicting that Ekiti will witness an investment boom after Fayemi’s re-election because of the strong basis that the governor was creating for the economic development of the state.

    He revealed that many foreign companies had already signified their interest to set up base in the state and were only waiting for the re-election of Fayemi to move in and start their operation.

    The Ekiti diaspora was particularly interested in the coming election because of its importance to the future of the state, Awoniyi said, explaining why he and other members of the EDE 2014, a coalition of Ekiti groups in Europe, are in the state campaigning for Fayemi re-election.