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CEMGS

The Centre of Excellence in Migration and Global Studies (CEMGS), ˮ���� of Nigeria (NOUN), is set to hold a 2-day  workshop that aims to enhance academic engagement, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and develop policy-relevant research agenda.

This is coming on the heels of an initiative to reposition the academic community particularly migration scholars, researchers, and institutions as key stakeholders in shaping migration narratives and policies in Nigeria.

Director of the centre, Prof. Gloria Anetor, in a statement, said the event will be held from Tuesday, October 14 through Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at the NOUN Headquarters, Jabi, Abuja.

It will also afford the chance to showcase NOUN’s leadership role, knowledge hub in migration studies and global mobility research, as well as promote evidence-based policy making, and build capacity.

Anetor explained that the workshop, which has its theme: “Strengthening and Maximising Academic Presence in the Migration Space in Nigeria,” will witness the convergence of researchers and practitioners in the fields of migration and global studies.

“The workshop will bring together all migration centres in the Nigerian universities, migration scholars, postgraduate students, policy actors, representatives of international organisations, the government, NGOs, and other stakeholders,’’ she said.

It will feature director of the Migration Centre at the University of Accra, Ghana, as the guest speaker, while the NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Peters, will be the chief-host of the event.

Other speakers include: Chief of Mission, International Organisation of Migration (IOM), Honorable Commissioner, NCFRMI and members of the Technical Working Group Committee of Migration, and  speakers from different migration agencies within Nigeria and other ECOWAS countries, IOM migration agencies in Nigeria and the academia.

Expected outcomes, she said, include a strengthened network of academics and stakeholders in migration research, concrete policy briefs and research proposals arising from the workshop, a publication of selected papers presented during the workshop, increased visibility and impact of CEMGS and NOUN in migration studies at national and international levels.

The dynamics of migration in Nigeria and globally continue to evolve rapidly, intersecting with national development, policy, education, and international diplomacy.

As the country’s largest open and distance learning institution, NOUN is uniquely positioned to contribute meaningfully to national migration discourses and to drive scholarly engagement in this critical area, added the statement.