Breaking: ECOWAS moves to increase job creation

ECOWAS is coming up with new ideas to increase job creation to address illegal migration in the region, NAN reports.

This was disclosed at the opening session of the ongoing Delocalised Meeting of a Joint Committee holding in Conakry, Guinea.

Since the peak of migration in 2014, a number of irregular migrants have been recorded from Africa to Europe via various migratory routes, with more deaths also recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.

Risk Analysis for 2018 concluded that the sea will remain the most active path for illegally crossing the EU’s external borders, but also one of the most dangerous for migrants, particularly along the Mediterranean routes.

Mr Moustapha Cisse Lo, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, has charged committee members to ensure that they come up with recommendations for job creation.

He added that consideration and adoption of the committee’s draft report and recommendations would take place at the ECOWAS Parliament’s plenary session in May in Nigeria.

Another parliamentary representative, Mr. Alpha Fischer, said the meeting would also develop ways to facilitate the region’s youth vocational training.

“This meeting will advocate and promote the acquisition of youth skills to enable them to stay in their country instead of venturing into illegal migration.

“This meeting will deal with our youth job creation and training to overcome the temptation to be trapped in the Mediterranean Sea,” he said.

NAN