According to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the ill-treatment faced by Nigerians abroad is majorly caused by their irregular migration to Europe and other parts of the world. The Director of Economic Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Akinremi Bolaji, at the launch program of the EuroAfrica Polish Language Center, Abuja, warned Nigerian youths to desist from irregular migration to Europe and other first world countries and seek better opportunities with accordance to the law.
The Federal Government discourages irregular migration but because migration is a fundamental human right, there is emphasis that anyone who desires to migrate must ensure it is within the confinement of the law. Developed countries look forward to having visitors with great skills but require that their migration is legally documented. A registered agency which is recognized by the government and regulatory organizations for rendering migration assistance is EuroAfrica. Without a legally documented migration process, migrants are likely to face ill-treatments.
Language exchange would enable economic activities between countries.
The Ambassador added that if the migration of any Nigerian migrant is documented at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) and a recognized agent, any ill-treatment by the host country would be traceable. He likewise said, while giving a speech on the significance of the EuroAfrica Polish Language Center, that there is a need for exchange of language for improvement of economic activities between countries.
Today’s Europe needs Africa but is being impeded by language. However, with EuroAfrica in Nigeria, it is believed that in some parts of Poland, Polish citizens would begin to learn how to speak and understand Yoruba or Hausa. This is necessary so that when they come to do business in Lagos, it would be easy to communicate in Yoruba or any Nigerian language. Travelling to Poland as a Nigerian automatically reveals the migrant as a stranger as a result of the inability to understand or speak the Polish language.
Appropriate regular migration, labour migration and proper record keeping.
EuroAfrica does not encourage the ‘Japa’ ideology but is focused on improving and encouraging appropriate regular migration, labour migration and proper record keeping. Following these steps help the government to be aware of the number of citizens that have left the country, the country they are now in, the industry they now serve in and whom their employer is. The founder of the center, Olakunle Alayande, said that the center was created to ensure transmission of the language and culture of Poland to Nigerian Youths.
The founder shared his experience of living in Poland over twenty years and in the education sector. His records revealed that he has taken over 400 Nigerian students to Poland as individual exchange students and they have all graduated. In the process of doing that, he recognized the disintegration of Nigerians into the Polish systems in terms of understanding the Polish language and difficulty in finding a stand in the country by securing a decent paying job for understanding the language.
Advanced countries look out for cultural diversity in candidates.
Nigerians who are affected by a lack of knowledge of the Polish language only get employment opportunities through multinational companies. But knowledge of the language helps Nigerians secure wider opportunities to either get employed in a Polish company or in a multinational company. Co-founder of the center, Aleksandra Alayande, revealed that basic knowledge of Polish or many other languages helps one to be unique in academic competitions. Many advanced companies look out for candidates who are able to offer cultural diversity.
Related Link
EuroAfrica services: Website
