The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, said on Thursday the Federal Government was making efforts to check irregular migration by Nigerians.
The minister stated this at an Anti-Migration Summit organised by the Blacks Ancestral Native Communities (BANC) in Abuja.
He said irregular migration had several unintended negative outcomes such as human trafficking and drug peddling, adding that the government would put in place policies and programmes to boost the economy and create employment.
According to him, the federal government realised the urgent need to advance the Nigerian economy to an enviable level where it can support its leadership status as the pride of Africa.
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Bagudu said: “A two trillion dollar economy will support the correction of all of what we are here talking about, such as the irregular migration or the ‘Japa’ syndrome in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is not seeking to end migration by her citizens but to ensure that people only migrate out of choice, not by compulsion.
“The present administration is making strident efforts to curtail irregular migration by Nigerians through policies and programmes that will boost our economy and create employment.”
He, however, advised those seeking to migrate to ensure proper documentation and careful choices of the jobs they were going to do in destination countries.
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