Edo Holds 2nd Roundtable Dialogue On Managing Migration, As EU, World Bank Join Forces To Coordinate Campaign

The Edo State Government will host international organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations including Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders involved in addressing human trafficking and illegal migration to a two-day roundtable to fine-tune strategies to stem the menace.

The event is scheduled to hold from Tuesday, December 4 to Wednesday 5, in Benin City, the state capital.

It is organised by the Managing Migration through Development Programme (MMDP), which is a coordinating entity for the campaign against human trafficking and illegal migration run by the state government, the European Union (EU) and the World Bank.

In a statement by the MMDP, the state government said the roundtable is themed ‘Finding common Ground,’ and that government recognises that human trafficking and illegal migration is part of a larger developmental issue in the state and as a result, the state adopted a more integrated approach in its strategy plan of action.

It noted that the 2nd roundtable dialogue will “Take stock of the outcomes of the previous technical roundtable held on the 23rd of May 2018; present the data derived from the Coordination Matrix; identify existing gaps and clarify commitments relevant to the MMDP; advance stakeholders’ collaboration across the four thematic pillars of the MMDP and visit project sites relevant to the MMDP.

On the series of engagements that led to setting up of the programme, the statement said, “the Managing Migration through Development Programme (MMDP) was designed as part of the Edo State Government's strategy in a bid to eradicate illegal migration and promote economic prosperity and safety for the citizens of Edo State.

“The objective of the programme is set against four thematic pillars, which include: returnee resettlement and re-integration; reducing irregular migration; eradicating human trafficking, and providing quality public services in at-risk communities.”

It said that beyond a comprehensive sub-national response to the problem, the Edo State Government recognises the need to work with key stakeholders at all levels to effectively address these issues which led to several adhoc meetings and the Technical Roundtable on Managing Migration through Development held on the 23rd of May 2018.

The statement added that the roundtable led to the establishment of a Steering Committee on Managing Migration through Development Programme led by Edo State, the EU and World Bank Group.

“The first Roundtable led to a number of partnerships, opportunities for collaborations and identified gaps. It also led to the need to develop a Coordinator Matrix which sets the grounds for the 2nd Roundtable Dialogue on Managing Migration Through Development,” it said.