The Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub has urged Nigerian youth to reject irregular migration and instead acquire sustainable, lifelong skills that will enable them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
Delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Educational Summit to mark International Youth Day, held at the National Human Rights Commission, Yakub emphasised that education and innovation are the most effective tools for addressing the root causes of irregular migration.
The summit, attended by representatives of the Minister of Youth Development, the Chief of the Air Staff, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, and other dignitaries, also featured papers from Dr. Umar Tanko Yakasai, DG of the Tinubu Support Group, and broadcaster-activist Dr. Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack.
Citing data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the NTAC DG, who was represented by his special assistant on media and publicity, Nkem Anyata-Lafia, highlighted the dangers of irregular migration, which include drowning, extortion, police brutality, forced prostitution, and arbitrary detention.
“Since 2014, over 28,000 deaths have been recorded on the Mediterranean Sea, with some of the most tragic incidents occurring off the coasts of Libya, Greece, and Italy.
“These grim statistics should be enough to dissuade anyone from attempting such dangerous journeys,” Buba warned, recalling specific tragedies such as the 2011 Libya shipwreck that killed 600 people and the 2013 Lampedusa disaster in which 359 lives were lost.
According to him, factors driving irregular migration include misinformation, conflict, political instability, poverty, and climate change.
Arguing that only by addressing these root causes through robust education and vocational training can Nigeria stem the tide, Yakub commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for providing platforms to support youth development, citing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund), National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), National Directorate of Employment (NDE), and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) as key agencies linking education with wealth creation.
He explained that NELFund, for instance, was created to support access to higher education while promoting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), thereby equipping young Nigerians with employable skills.
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Highlighting NTAC’s role, the DG said the Corps continues to provide opportunities for skilled Nigerians to work in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific under bilateral technical aid agreements, helping young professionals migrate with dignity and contribute to national development through skills export.
The DG disclosed that discussions are underway with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other Ministries, and the National Assembly to transform parts of NTAC’s services into revenue-generating ventures, enabling the country to earn foreign exchange from its export of technical expertise.
Yakub called on all stakeholders to invest in education, skills training, and innovation as strategic tools to curb irregular migration and empower Nigerian youth.
“To banish ignorance, poverty, and hopelessness, we must light our path with education, creativity, productivity, and innovation,” he said.
