The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has conducted a four-day business skills training for 72 Nigerian migrants returning from Libya.

According to a statement by Ikechukwu Attah, a communication assistant with IOM, the training took place in Lagos from February 12 to 15.

The statement said nearly a half of the participants were young women who were taught how to plan, launch and sustain their own businesses.

Attah said more than 200 Nigerian migrants who returned from Libya had participated in business skills training since IOM and its partners started the workshops in December 2017.

He said the training was part of a three-year European Union-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration.

He said the programmed also offers in-kind reintegration assistance to help some of the returning Nigerian migrants start businesses such as tailoring shops, beauty salons, and market kiosks.

“The programme is important as the majority of Nigerian migrants who return from Libya say they travelled to the North African country in hopes of crossing the Mediterranean Sea into Italy and finding better job opportunities in Europe,” Attah said.

He noted that the training also offered Nigerian returnees an opportunity to meet and support one another, as many suffered similar trauma on the journey and need to rebuild support systems in their local communities.

According to IOM, 2,834 migrants died at sea on the route between Libya and Italy in 2017 and 315 have perished since the start of 2018.

So far, IOM has documented more than 6,300 Nigerians who have returned home from Libya through the EU-IOM Joint initiative in the last 10 months.