The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons(NCRMI) on Friday challenged Nigerian returnees to begin to live meaningful lives at home, rather than seeking greener pastures abroad.
NCRMI’s South-West Zonal Head, Mrs Margaret Ukegbu, gave the advice in Lagos before presenting certificates, kits and seed money to newly-trained returnees, refugees and internally displaced persons.
The Commission had last Monday flagged-off a Five-day skills acquisition training for beneficiaries in shoe and soap making, phone
repairs, photography, cosmetology and hairdressing in various centres, nationwide.
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Ukegbu, who advised the trainees differently in Surulere and Yaba, Lagos State, enjoined them to stay relevant in their country, rather
than embarking on risky trips to Libya and other countries.
“Our Commission decided to organise these trainings to empower you with skills that would make you become self-sustaining and be
independent as refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and returnees.
The commission believes that these would be durable solutions to whatever challenges that you might have been facing. These are great
empowerment opportunities that you have been given.
With these skills in photography, soap making, phone repairs and others, we do not want you travelling illegally or begging to eat.
“Stay relevant in our country and begin to use the skills in making money for yourselves,’’ she said. Ukegbu advised the beneficiaries not to misuse the kits and seed money given to them at the end of the five-day skills acquisition training.
The NCRMI’s zonal head said that with the training, the commission would henceforth not accommodate complaints and she sought the
support of the benefiting refugees.
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She said that the commission would continue to monitor how the provided kits and seed money of N20, 000 would be utilised by the trainees in their communities.
The NCRMI official said that the Federal Government, through the commission, was interested in making young Nigerians live meaningful lives.
A returnee from Libya, Muhammad Abdul Hadi, said that he had benefited from the training, adding that he had been equipped to start his own phone repairs operation.
Muhammad, who said that he would not have thought of traveling to Libya if there was such opportunity in the past, commended the commission for the initiative.
He said that the training had provided him with skills with which to make money and be able to provide for his family.
Another returnee, Miss Oluchi Emmanuel, said that the training had exposed her to the opportunities around her, rather than travelling to Libya and returning with nothing.
“The skills given to me in five days tell me that Nigeria, my country, will one day be better.
I really benefited a lot from this training. I pray God to give me the wisdom to use the skills and money given to me to start my own small
business,’’ she said. (NAN)
