Prof. Adebusuyi Adeniran, a Professor of Migration and Development Sociology, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has called for urgent need to rebrand Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for true structure and responsibilities.
Adeniran stated this during the 407th Inaugural Lecture of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, at Oduduwa Hall, on Tuesday, in Ile-Ife.
The theme was: "Migralusion: A Mix-Transnational Theory of 'Japa' Culture".
Adeniran explained that among the urgent reforms needed is to enhance the functionality of the NIS as the flagship body for border security and migration management in the country.
According to him, immigration data management represents just an aspect of NIS and this department should take charge of border security, emigration, policy projection and implementation, advisory service among its other statutory responsibilities.
He noted that Immigration should not be responsible for issuance of passport but for controlling issuance of passport, and charged the government to bring migration into the curriculum from primary school to tertiary institution.
The Inaugural Lecturer said that essential industry-level regulations are essential in migration management, for with the capacity of earning from both cross-border and transnational migrations can contribute maximally.
"Cross-border and Transnational Migration should be transformed into an Industry. With the capacity of earnings from both cross-border and transnational migrations to contribute impactfully to the gross national income (GNI).
"Gross domestic product (GDP) of the countries of low-income/middle-income countries, essential industry-level regulations are essential in migration management.
"Countries like Sri Lanka and the Philippines have successfully ingrained management of emigration of its citizens into its development plans," the Don cited.
He called for restructuring of immigration name in line with its constitutionally assigned tasks to Nigerian Migration and Border Service (NMBS) or Nigeria Migration and Border Security (NMBS).
The Inaugural Lecturer asked government to ensure that mainstreaming Migration-related Agencies should be aligned into the NIS Operations.
"A major challenge on the path of efficient and safe migration management in Nigeria has been undue proliferation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) whose functions are not only overlapping, but often time, unexplainable.
"The responsibilities of NCFRMI, for example, should be restructured for the work of a Unit/Department of Internal Migration under the umbrella of NIS.
"It will just require further strengthening of NIS, in terms of capacity building, equipment and funding for optimal performance to be enabled," he expressed.
According to Adeniran, there is no nation that ever handles its challenges of economic migration with levity owing largely to its long-term negative planning and developmental outcomes.
The Anthropologist stressed that unavailability of socio-economic opportunities often spur the challenge of unstructured migration, which routinely terminates as economic migration at the various points of destinations.
He lamented that Canada, UK and the United Arab Emirates keep changing their skilled immigrant work visa rules for Nigerians alone.
Adeniran appealed to government to prioritise the establishment of migration clinics for migrants across all 774 local government areas with basic responsibilities of enlightening, counselling and monitoring prospective migrants, especially the youths.
"Such migration clinic should be made accessible, free and friendly business-wise for all age and gender categories," he raised.
He called for future research plans at the Center for Migration, Diaspora and Humanitarian Studies (CMDHS) and planned to ensure that OAU becomes the fulcrum for contemporary center for migration research and policy analysis in Africa.
He promised to drive the establishment of the 1st Institution-based 'Observatory on Migration' in Nigeria to OAU with basic goals of tracking imperative changes in human migratory trends and patterns within and beyond Nigeria.
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