UN General Assembly
2018

A topical consequence of the current conflicts around the world is the irregular migration of affected people from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa to Europe. Irregular migration entails huge avoidable loss of human lives, puts strains on services in host countries and communities and fuels anti-immigrant and racist sentiments in Europe. That is why we welcome the successful conclusion of the negotiations on the first-ever global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. We look forward to its adoption in Marrakech later this year. The aim is to protect the rights of migrants worldwide while addressing the concerns of countries of origin, transit and destination alike. Migration is a constant in human affairs. We in Africa are grateful to countries that treat migrants with compassion and humanity, notably Germany, Italy and France. Irregular migration is not a consequence of conflicts alone, but of the effects of climate change and the lack of opportunities at home. Climate change remains one of the greatest challenges of our time. Very close to us at home, it is our lot in Nigeria, together with our neighbours around the Lake Chad basin, to live with the climate change consequences of a drastically shrunken Lake Chad and the parching up of otherwise fertile arable lands.