The Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, on Monday, called on the business community in Italy to invest in Nigeria to stem growing cases of migration to Europe.
Dogara made the call in Abuja when he received the President of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies, Mrs Laura Boldrini, at the National Assembly.
He said that investments would provide jobs for the youth, including women, and help in keeping them in the country, thereby discouraging migration abroad for greener pasture.
According to him, for the efforts at checking illegal migration in Nigeria and the world to yield desired results, there must be education and economic empowerment of citizens.
The speaker called for partnership between Italy and Nigeria in curbing illegal movement of citizens, adding that economic development was one of the ways to re-orientate the people.
“Economic development is a sure way to empower people to get out of poverty and resist the lure to engage in crime or risk travelling to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea.
“It is the quest for a better life that motivate Nigerians and other nationalities to embark on risky journeys across the Mediterranean Sea with hope of getting a better life in Europe.
“One of the problems giving rise to all these challenges is lack of economic opportunities.
“The problem is that someone will really have to run out of hope for him to undertake this type of tortuous journeys.
“The journeys transverse the Sahara Desert and even across the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe. It means that there is generally loss of hope,” he said.
Dogara added that “the truth is that for us to deal with illegal migration, trafficking and cross-border crimes, we have to address the issue of bringing prosperity to sister countries so that citizens are catered for and jobs are provided.
“It is by investing in this country that we can provide the opportunity that can provide employment for the people who always want to risk all the dangers associated with migration.’’
Earlier, Boldrini had expressed willingness of Italy’s parliament to collaborate with its Nigerian counterpart, saying that the collaboration would address issues of trafficking in people, especially young girls and women, to Italy.
Boldrini disclosed that 37, 000 Nigerians arrived Italy in 2016, saying she supported a “unified effort for both countries to check illegal migration’’. (NAN)