The RECONNECT Project (Reintegration and Empowerment for Connecting and Nurturing Opportunities of Vulnerable Populations and Returning Migrants) have graduated in Abuja 120 persons, mostly Nigerian returnees from unfortunate trips outside of the country.
The three-month skill acquisition programme is designed to make them self-reliant and employers of labour.
The project, according to the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, has supported the economic and social reintegration of vulnerable groups, including returned migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs), persons with disabilities (PWDs), and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) through vocational training and business start-up support.
Mamedu, speaking at a graduation ceremony of the project sponsored by International Organisation for Migration (IOM), German Development Cooperation (GIZ), and GOPA in collaboration with
the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), said in total, 400 individuals across the three locations of Abuja, Lagos and Benin have been trained in market-driven skills such as fashion design, hairdressing, catering and hotel management, baking and confectionery, textile and adire making, and shoemaking.
He said. “Today, we celebrate not only the completion of a training programme for the one hundred participants in Abuja but also the beginning of new ventures, new livelihoods, and hope for these Nigerians.”
He added that: “Over the past few months, participants have undergone intensive hands-on training and entrepreneurial development through the Inspire, Create, Start and Scale (ICSS) module which is an essential component that prepares them not only to work but to lead, innovate, and create opportunities for others.
“The RECONNECT Project goes beyond reintegration. It embodies the fight against poverty and inequality. By strengthening the capacity of young Nigerians with practical skills and entrepreneurial knowledge, we are contributing to tackling the structural causes of poverty and unemployment. We are building resilience, strengthening livelihoods, and giving people the tools to reclaim their dignity.”
Mamedu said: “As we celebrate you today, we also call on the Federal Government to create better conditions for our young people, conditions that foster opportunity, dignity, and hope. No Nigerian should feel compelled to risk their life through irregular migration in search of survival. The solution lies in empowerment, education, and inclusive development.”
The Federal Commissioner of the NCFRMI, Aliyu Tijani Ahmed, who presented certificates to the graduating returnees, charged them to remain in the country.
“I am sure after your graduation, we will not find any of you on the street begging because of the training that you have received. And also, the starter fund that you received to start your business.
“This is all about integration. This is all about empowerment. You have to put your commitment into putting this trade into action.
“Please remain in Nigeria. Please be part of this country. The government is changing, and our life system is also changing positively in Nigeria today.“
