On Saturday 26th January, 2013, the mail bowl of the spurious Water Parks Entertainment Center, Ikeja Lagos was filled to the brim with a mammoth crowd of over 5000 Nigerian youths. It was the grand youth concert and talent hunt competition organized by the

Illegal Migration Awareness Project of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, PRAWA and supported by British High Commission BHC. The star studded youth concert started with the youth talent hunt event where more than 300 Nigerian young people showcased their talents in drama, dance, stand-up comedy, photography, fashion, painting, music and many other creative skills. Winners selected from each category were featured at the grand youth concert which followed shortly after. Shortly before the

midday, the major event opened with line-up of guests from the Nigerian Immigration Service NIS, the Nigerian Police NPF, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, the Nollywood Movie Industry, the British High Commission, The Ministry of Education and the Clergy among others.

PRAWA Board Chairman and former Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Gabriel Toby opened the grand event with call on Nigerians especially youths to say no to irregular migration. Dr. Toby described irregular migration as the act of travelling to foreign countries without control and genuine documents. He lamented its negative impacts on Nigeria’s image abroad. He called the youths to make the following declarations: “Say no to irregular migration, say no to violence, no to crime” According to Toby “that’s the only way your future can be guaranteed, that is the only way our country can move after we have gone”

Mr. Tom Adams of British High Commission in Nigeria in his speech titled: “Know before You Go” revealed that over One Hundred and Seventy Thousand Nigerians travel to United Kingdom every year. He said that vast majority of such visits are safe and successful. “United Kingdom welcomes genuine visitors, students, businesspeople and workers and they will continue to benefit from the first class visa services the British High Commission offer’ Tom said. He went through the whole process for applying for visa to UK and quickly pointed out that the government of United Kingdom clamp down heavily on people

who abuse the immigration rules. He urged the Nigerian youths not to be tempted to use false or fraudulent documentation to travel to UK since there are very sophisticated verification techniques. According to Tom, anyone who submits false documentation to travel

to UK could face ten years ban on travel to UK. “There are only two options for all intending travelers to UK; “know before you go and complete your application fully and honestly” he concluded.

Mr. R.O. Odupeyin the Comptroller of Immigration, Lagos State Command in a paper titled: “Ills of Irregular Migration” said irregular migration became a heightened issue immediately after the World War II and continued to the 50s and 60s with unapproved movements to countries of Europe. He linked consequences of irregular migration to economic, social and cultural factors. Mr. Odupeyin urged Nigerian youths to shun the idea of irregular migration and advised them to be courageous and creative by being creative and independent. “You can use the numerous incentives offered by Federal Government of Nigeria by venturing into self development occupations like agriculture” he opined.

Dr. Uju Agomoh, the Executive Director of PRAWA in her speech said that Nigeria constitute the

greatest percentage of black people all over the world and as such constitute the largest number of

black Africans involved in illegal and irregular migrations. He called the on Nigerian youths to make a deliberate commitment to being good Nigerians in the midst of all odds. In what sounded like a clarion call, Dr. Agomoh called the youths to make verbal declaration of their commitment to staying back in Nigeria to build a Nigeria they will be proud to call their own. “Your generation is waiting. There must be something valuable you can give to your country, to your generation so that by the time you leave people will know that you came to this world” she solemnly urged the youth. “Say no to illegal irregular migration! Say no to all things dirty and negative! Do not fail even if this generation may have failed you” Dr. Agomoh concluded.

The I-MAP Youth Concert paraded an array of Nollywood Movie Stars like Benedict Johnson, Charles Okafor, Steve Eboh and Joke

Silva. Benedict Johnson paired with Kate Ibeanusi to anchor the ceremony. In his goodwill message Mr. Charles Okafor told the story of wasted talents of some Nigerian able-bodied youth languishing in many prison yards across the world and called on

Nigerian youths to think home and believe in Nigeria. It was another big occasion when Joke Silva took the stage to admonish Nigeria youths. In her stern but motherly comportment and fashion she called on Nigerian youths to drop all negative feelings about Nigeria and move forward to achieve their purpose in life in Nigeria.

The highpoint of the event came when MI the popular Nigeria Rap Artist and the originator of “Microphone Tradition, Highlife and Hip pop combination” took the stage to perform. The capacity crowd made up mainly of secondary school children, invited youth clubs and the I-MAP Peer Educators jumped on the stage to have a dance with MI.