The Federal Government has said it is making efforts to curtail irregular migration by Nigerians through policies and programmes that will boost the economy and create employment.
Sen.Abubakar Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning said this at an Anti-Migration Summit organised by the Blacks Ancestral Native Communities (BANC) on Thursday in Abuja.
Bagudu said that irregular migration had a lot of unintended negative outcomes such as human trafficking and drug peddling.
According to him, the Federal Government realises the urgent need to advance Nigerian economy to an enviable level where it can support her leadership status as the pride of Africa.
“A two trillion dollar economy will support the correction of all of what we are here talking about, such as the irregular migration or the “Japa” syndrome in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is not seeking to end migration by her citizens but to ensure that people only migrate out of choice not by compulsion.
“The present administration is making strident efforts to curtail irregular migration by Nigerians through policies and programmes that will boost our economy and create employment,” he said.
He said that most of the policy measures being pursued were meant to support the country’s aspiration to attain higher economic goals.