The Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub has urged Nigerian youth to avoid irregular migration and focus on acquiring sustainable lifelong skills that will enable them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Nkem Anyata-Lafia, the call was made during the 2025 Educational Summit held in Abuja to mark International Youth Day.
Buba stressed the importance of education and innovation as effective tools for addressing the root causes of irregular migration. He warned of its dangers, including death, extortion, police brutality, and imprisonment. Citing a study by the International Organisation for Migration, he noted that manipulation, misinformation, conflict, economic instability, poverty, and climate change remain key factors driving the trend. He further revealed that over 28,000 lives have been lost on the Mediterranean Sea since 2014 due to irregular migration.
He identified continuous education, vocational training, and innovation as major solutions to the problem. According to him, the current administration under President Bola Tinubu has created several opportunities for Nigerians to gain skills and education through agencies such as the National Education Loan Fund, the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure.
Buba called on stakeholders to invest in education as a strategic tool for ensuring Nigeria’s sustainable growth. He reaffirmed his commitment to seeking lasting solutions that empower the youth, pointing to President Tinubu’s 4-D Foreign Policy Initiative as a key influence on NTAC’s direction.
The Summit ended with a united appeal for stakeholders across various sectors to work together in raising a generation of informed, innovative, and community-focused young leaders capable of driving Nigeria toward a brighter future.
