NOA chief advises young Nigerians against desperate overseas trips

The Lagos State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Waheed Ishola, on Friday told young Nigerians to think twice before embarking on foreign trips to seek greener pastures.

Speaking in an interview with our reporter in Lagos, Ishola said it was important for young Nigerians to be mindful of the dangers associated with illegal trips overseas.

He said that young Nigerians had more often than not fallen prey to unscrupulous elements, using them to achieve selfish goals.

The NOA chief advised young Nigerians to take advantage of local and international vocational programmes to develop their capacities, instead of resorting to dangerous overseas trips.

“In spite of the challenges and dangers, there are still a lot of Nigerian youths, wanting to travel out of this country by all means.

“We appeal to these Nigerians that they must know that the streets of foreign countries are not paved with gold.

“We want young Nigerians to begin to believe in their country and to avail themselves of the different vocational programmes in their communities and states.’’

Ishola lamented the huge number of lives lost yearly as well as the harrowing experiences that hundreds of young Nigerians put themselves into in their quest for greener pastures in foreign lands.

“We have lost count of the number of young men and women who reportedly drown in their quest to get out of Nigeria at all cost.

“Let me again appeal to our young ones to take advantage of the opportunities in this country.

“There are vocational programmes that you can benefit from, rather than subjecting yourselves to second-class citizens in foreign countries, where you are not wanted at all,’’ Ishola said.