Benin - Nigeria The International Organization for Migration, with funding from the German Federal Foreign Office, this week launched the third phase of the IOM X awareness-raising campaign, WAKA Well.  The first iteration of the campaign was launched in 2019; WAKA Well by IOM X is an awareness-raising campaign in West Africa designed to place migration prone communities on the driving seat of information campaigns informing potential migrants, particularly the youth, of their migration-related decisions.

Building on the project’s first phase, IOM X West Africa phase 3 aims to produce media content targeted at youth aged 13-40 in Oredo and Ikpoba Okha in Benin city, Edo state, to promote safe migration and local opportunities in Nigeria. The campaign adopts a participatory and evidence-based Communication for Development (C4D) approach in designing and crafting its activities’ messages and media concepts.

“IOM is deeply committed to empowering young people in West Africa to make informed migration-related decisions, thus helping to reduce vulnerability to exploitation that can result from irregular migration. Having involved the communities in the development of the content, I believe that this campaign will inspire young people and their communities to act against human trafficking,” said IOM Chief of Mission Frantz Celestin

The Waka Well campaign has been highly impactful in creating social and behavioural change within the target audience. In 2019, the campaign generated a 13 per cent increase in behavioural intent to practice safe migration.  It is believed that the third phase of the campaign will generate even more awareness on opportunities that exist in Edo state and help youth make informed migration choices. The video content developed through this participatory and consultative process was launched on 16 December 2021 in Benin City at a media launch aimed at drawing the attention of the media, the target audience and their communities to the IOMX WAKA Well campaign videos to appreciate partners who were part of the process. The media launch featured a panel discussion on local opportunities to discourage irregular migration, theatre performance, and music and comedy performances by returned migrants. The video content comprises two short drama and comedy video skits titled ‘Legit Hustle’ and “I for no waka loss”, which highlights the dangers of human trafficking while also sharing messages to help young people make informed migration decisions. The videos also direct the viewers to the WAKA well website for information on safe migration pathways and local opportunities available in Edo state.

Information on safe migration pathways and local opportunities in Edo state is accessible on the WAKA Well website at wakawell.info/nigeria

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For more information, please contact Stylia Kampani, Public Information Officer at IOM Nigeria, at skampani@iom.int