Nigeria’s Consul General in South Africa, Mr Godwin Adama, says the mission was working with Nigerian professionals to assist unemployed youths in that country.
Adama told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday that the mission was determined to ensure that such Nigerians were kept busy in an occupation.
He said that Nigerian professionals had been approached to engage such youths to make them earn a living.
“We have encouraged Nigerian professionals and others who can offer assistance in any area to move these youths out of the streets.
“The response has been positive and we are optimistic that more will be achieved in this direction, “ Adama said.
According to him, this is one way of informing the South African authorities that the mission is not in support of Nigerians involved in crime .
The consul general, however, said that the mission would give papers to Nigerians who voluntarily want to return home.
“We are ready to give papers to those who want to return home. We give Emergency Travel Certificates (ETCs) to those who do not have passports.
“The mission recently sent home two Nigerians with health challenges, paid their fares, while their families received them on arrival,” he said.
Adama also said that the mission visited the deportation camps in South Africa to document Nigerians there.
“About 100 Nigerians were deported a month ago.
“We issued them ETC after documentation that ascertained they were Nigerians and their cases had been concluded.
“The mission cooperated and gave them papers to go home,” he said.
