Benin City – Nigerian streets and establishments are layered with instructions for preventing the spread of COVID-19, and the city of Benin, Edo State, is no exception. But as the pandemic has taken a toll on people’s livelihoods, protective gear such as face masks is, for many, a luxury.

To complement the Nigerian government’s response to the pandemic, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the Genius Hub Global Initiative, recently trained 60 returnees and local youth in Edo State in the production of face masks.

Following the two-week training, participants completed the production of 66,000 reusable face masks on 30 September.

“These masks are made according to the highest standards and will be distributed free of charge to communities in Edo State,” said Aigbeze Uhimwen, IOM Nigeria Senior Programme Assistant. “The training also provides returnees and local youth with a source of income during these difficult times.”

The participants will receive a commission for every face mask they produce in addition to a transportation allowance and reimbursement for distribution costs.

The items will be distributed in six local government areas (LGAs) in Edo State, the main place of origin of over 20,500 Nigerian irregular migrants assisted by IOM with voluntary return since early 2017. The masks are made from ankara, a type of cotton fabric whose vibrant and colorful patterns are seen on pants, dresses and headwear all over West Africa.

Each of the six targeted LGAs will receive 11,000 items which will be distributed in collaboration with local authorities in markets, churches, mosques, and other public spaces.

“When I returned to Nigeria in 2017, IOM assisted me to start a PVC ceiling business but when I heard of this training I jumped at the opportunity and this has made a difference in my life as I intend to diversify my business,” said Marvellous Nwagwu, a Nigerian returnee whose irregular journey to Europe was halted in Libya.

COVID-19 has put a strain on the livelihoods of returnees and their communities in Nigeria. An assessment conducted by IOM in May revealed that 96 per cent of 105 Nigerian returnees consulted in Edo and Delta states were worse-off financially compared to before the start of the pandemic. In addition to lower income, beneficiaries’ purchasing power has also taken a hit. Three-quarters of Nigerian respondents reported that food and basic items had become more expensive than previously.

Since the start of the pandemic, 3,255 returnees have received reintegration assistance from IOM with support from the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration and other voluntary return and reintegration projects funded the UK Home Office, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ).

Between April and July 2020, 550 returnees across various projects have received reintegration counseling including socio-economic assistance from IOM in Nigeria, where COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 1,112 people as of 1 October.

This activity is funded by the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), commissioned by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany under the Strengthening Assistance for Returnees and Potential Migrants and Promoting Safe Migration Practices Project in Communities of Origin. GIZ is supporting the voluntary return and reintegration of 631 Nigerian returnees back home.

For more information please contact Jorge Galindo at IOM Nigeria, Tel: +234 906 273 9168, Email: jgalindo@iom.int