On Friday 22nd March, 2019, the Centre for Migration Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe Univeristy CMS-NAU received a representative of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Dr. Austin Obinna Ezejiofor, Coordinator, Program Migration for Development (PMD). The delegate was at the Centre to discuss areas of possible collaboration between the GIZ and CMS-NAU.
The visit was organized in four meeting sessions. After the preliminary welcome by the leadership of the Centre, there was a technical session which discussed areas of possible collaboration. The fruitful deliberations isolated a number of areas for further consideration.
Next, the Delegate interacted with the Pioneer research Team of the Centre on the ongoing Survey on Anambra State Migration Dynamics. The Team explained that the research was motivated by the need for the establishment of baseline data for evidence-based migration policy formulation and implementation in Nigeria.
After this, the entire group went on inspection tour of the facilities relevant to the proposed collaborations on skills acquisition and entrepreneurial development. Among the facilities visited were: Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies, the Mechanical and Woodwork Workshops of the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, the UNIZIK FM Radio Station and the Psychology Department Research and Counselling Clinics.
The visit concluded with a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Joseph E. Ahaneku FAS. In his welcome remarks, the Vice Chancellor thanked the GIZ Delegate for the visit. He stated the resolve of the University to give all necessary support to the Centre to achieve its mandate. He lauded the GIZ for all the good work they are doing in the area of migration not only in Nigeria but all over the world. He expressed the hope that the visit will lead to concretization of mutually beneficial relationship between the University and GIZ. In his response, the GIZ Delegate, Dr. Ezejiofor expressed great satisfaction at the initiative of the University to intervene in the area of migration research and studies. He emphasized that this was necessary to provide the research and academic component in the management and governance of migration in Nigeria. He expressed his gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor for the warm reception and expressed the hope that given the facilities on ground and other strides already achieved by CMS-NAU, GIZ will be willing to enter into further partnership with the Centre.
The exchange of Souvenirs between the Vice-Chancellor and the GIZ Delegate brought the visit to an end.