Laraba MUREY
The Spanish Ambassador-at-Large for Migration Affairs, Pilar Méndez Jiménez, has said that empowering young people through education and innovation is the key to making migration safer and more beneficial for both Africa and Europe.
She made this known at the closing ceremony of the Rabat Process Thematic Meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday. The event focused on the theme: “Youth, Education and Innovation: Driving the Future of Migration.”
The event was co-organized by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), under Nigeria’s leadership as Chair of the Rabat Process, a Euro-African dialogue on migration and development. Nigeria and Spain currently co-chair the initiative.
Méndez praised the Nigerian government for hosting the meeting and noted that for the first time, youth and civil society organisations working with young people were invited to take part in the Rabat Process. She said their contributions brought energy, passion, and fresh ideas to the discussions.
“We heard from the Nigerian delegation that 80 percent of African migrants are regular, and only 20 percent use irregular means. That’s a very important point. Now we must work together to reduce the number of people using dangerous routes,” she said.
According to her, education and innovation are two powerful tools to unlock the potential of youth and create opportunities at home. She mentioned programmes such as Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, and student exchange initiatives between African and European universities, including those in the Canary Islands and Málaga.
On innovation, Méndez commended Nigeria’s digital job-matching platform, NELEX, saying it is in line with Europe’s EU Talent Pool initiative. She also highlighted efforts by countries like Senegal and The Gambia to engage with returning migrants and create peer-to-peer support networks.
She added that young Africans are already creating powerful content on social media and understand how to reach their peers with positive messages.
“We also spoke about the importance of the African diaspora and how we can engage them in a sustainable way,” she said, pointing to examples from Morocco, Cameroon, Tunisia, Ghana, Uganda, and South Africa.
Women empowerment, fighting fake news about migration, and recognising talent across African countries also featured in the discussions. Méndez noted that bodies like ECOWAS are currently holding similar conversations on labour migration.
She closed her remarks by encouraging all partners to move from simply including youth voices to co-creating solutions with them.
“This meeting in Abuja has shown that the Rabat Process is more alive than ever. The youth are not just part of the solution — they are the solution,” she said.
Also speaking at the event, Southwest Zonal Coordinator of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Alexander Oturu, the meeting was timely and strategic. He explained that the conversations reflect Nigeria’s long-standing commitment to regional migration dialogue and youth empowerment.
“We are pleased that for the first time, youth voices were not only heard but placed at the centre of migration discussions,” he said. “Nigeria believes that sustainable migration begins with opportunity at home, and we must continue to invest in education, digital skills, and safe pathways for young people.”
Oturu added that Nigeria would continue to champion inclusive partnerships that promote regular migration and discourage the dangerous journeys taken by some young people.
