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Gov. Alex Otti Opens Inaugural South-East Migration Dialogue, Demands Actionable Regional Framework on Safe and Orderly Migration
Gov. Alex Otti Opens Inaugural South-East Migration Dialogue, Demands Actionable Regional Framework on Safe and Orderly Migration
The Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, has declared open the inaugural South East Migration Dialogue 2026, challenging policymakers, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to move beyond resolutions and translate Nigeria’s national migration framework into practical, measurable outcomes that will directly benefit the people of the South East.
The two-day dialogue, held at the Government House, Umuahia, on September 9, 2026, brought together key stakeholders from across the five South East states to examine the region’s migration realities and develop coordinated strategies for safe, orderly and regular migration.
Governor Otti, who was represented at the event by the Deputy Governor, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, stressed that migration must be properly managed to protect migrants, strengthen host communities and ensure that the movement of people contributes meaningfully to economic development.
He called for stronger collaboration between state and federal governments, development partners, civil society organisations and other relevant institutions, while insisting that the dialogue must produce results that can be implemented and measured.
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“The message for us is clear, migration must be orderly, lawful, protected and accompanied by social cohesion, and opportunities for host communities.
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“This should not remain resolutions on paper. We should identify who will act by when, with what resources and against what measurable indicators.
“The states do not seek to supplant the constitutional responsibilities of the federal government in immigration and foreign affairs. Rather, we seek to complement national policy through state level skill development, data, investment, facilitation, migration protection and diaspora engagement.
“We should fear a system that allows our people to travel without skills, protection, strategy and or connection to home. The southeast does not merely want its people to succeed abroad.
“We want their success abroad to be strengthened in prosperity of the communities and the country they call home,“ Governor Otti stated.
The Governor identified five key areas where the dialogue should produce practical outcomes. These include the development of a regional migration framework, expansion of digital and other relevant skills, promotion of safe migration, stronger diaspora development and protection, as well as effective reintegration of returnees.
He noted that Abia State had already begun taking steps towards the reintegration of returning migrants, stressing that migration should be approached not merely as the movement of people across borders but as an issue with significant implications for human capital development, economic growth, security and international opportunities.
Governor Otti commended the organisers for convening the dialogue in the South East at a time “when migration has become not merely a matter of human mobility, but a strategic question of human capital, economic development, national security, and international opportunity.“
Also speaking at the event, the wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Chidinma Otti, called for deeper cooperation among governments, civil society organisations, development partners and other stakeholders to guarantee the safety, dignity and welfare of Nigerians who embark on journeys within and outside the country.
Mrs. Otti, who was represented by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Professor Uche Eme-Uche, drew attention to the harsh realities confronting Nigerians who fall victim to irregular migration.
She recalled cases of young people being deceived by traffickers, families losing their life savings to unscrupulous migration agents and migrants being subjected to detention, death in deserts and perilous journeys across the seas.
She said confronting these realities was one of the reasons the South East Migration Dialogue had become particularly important, as stakeholders could use the platform to develop practical interventions capable of protecting vulnerable migrants while creating better opportunities for those seeking to travel.
In his keynote address, the Director-General of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Dr. Aliyu Tijani-Ahmed, commended Governor Otti for hosting the landmark regional dialogue.
Tijani-Ahmed said the decision to host the event in Abia demonstrated Governor Otti’s commitment to responsible migration governance, protection of vulnerable persons and sustainable reintegration of returning migrants.
He also commended the Governor for supporting Abia indigenes who recently returned from South Africa by providing ₦1 million to each of the returnees.
According to the NCFRMI Director-General, the dialogue provided, for the first time, a dedicated regional platform for stakeholders from the five South East states to collectively examine migration challenges peculiar to the region and develop practical responses.
He identified the South East’s significant internal and international mobility, large diaspora population, irregular migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and return migration as some of the issues requiring coordinated regional attention.
Tijani-Ahmed further explained that decentralising migration governance should not be interpreted as an attempt to fragment Nigeria’s national migration policy.
Rather, he said, it should involve translating national commitments into coordinated and practical action at the state and local government levels, where migration-related challenges are often directly experienced by citizens and communities.
Representatives of major international and civil society organisations also applauded the Abia State Government for hosting the dialogue and highlighted the importance of the South East’s long history of migration and the enormous contributions of its diaspora to families, communities and the wider economy.
The representative of the Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Dr. Ukamaka Osigwe Anyamaechi; Country Director of International Returns and Reintegration Assistance (IRARA), Mr. Roland Nwoha; and National Coordinator of the Civil Society Network on Migration and Development (CSoNetMADE), Dr. Emeka Obiezu, commended Governor Otti’s administration and called for stronger partnerships to address migration challenges.
They emphasised the need to provide prospective migrants with accurate and timely information, protect migrants from exploitation and trafficking, expand access to skills and employment opportunities, and establish effective mechanisms for the sustainable reintegration of returnees.
Earlier, the South East Coordinator of CSoNetMADE, Mr. Jeto Nwadi, in his welcome address, said the theme of the dialogue, “Partnership for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration”, captured the urgent need for stakeholders to work together in addressing the complex realities surrounding migration.
Nwadi stressed that migration should not be viewed simply as the movement of people from one location to another, noting that it is deeply connected to livelihoods, economic development, labour mobility, family welfare and reunification, climate change, human rights and the aspirations of both young and older people.
The inaugural South East Migration Dialogue therefore provided a broad platform for policymakers, migration experts, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to exchange evidence, examine emerging migration trends and develop policy solutions tailored to the realities of the region.
Beyond the discussions and resolutions, the central message emerging from the dialogue was the need to transform migration from a largely reactive issue into a structured development strategy, one that protects people before they travel, equips them with the skills and information they need, safeguards them while abroad and creates pathways for productive return and reintegration.
For the South East, the dialogue also underscored the strategic importance of its vast diaspora network and the opportunity to turn migration and diaspora connections into stronger investments, skills transfer, employ
ment opportunities and sustainable development back home.
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