The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Republic of the Philippines, have set in motion a chain of interactions designed to deepen bilateral relations between both countries.
The development took place when the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, received in audience, the Secretary (Minister) of Migrant Workers of the Republic of the Philippines, Hans Leo Cacdac, in Abuja. In his remarks, Tuggar said the relationship between Nigeria and the Philippines was an age-long relationship that dated back to several decades.
In addition to the establishment of diplomatic missions in each others country, Tuggar said, both countries also have a joint commission. The minister disclosed that the President Bola Tinubu administration had a foreign policy that envisages that the Nigerian worker could migrate abroad in search if greener pastures.
He noted that Nigeria being a large country, with youthful population has millions of persons who want to migrated to other parts of the world in search of job opportunities. Tuggar said: “So, it is a demand and supply issue and engaging with the Philippines, we want to also equally learn from the Philippines that is very successful in this area.
“The issue of manpower, human resource, workers abroad, but to do so, just as the Philippines has been doing with the full protection of the government so that our workers go abroad, they work with dignity, with respect and that their families are given equal opportunities when they are working abroad.”
In response, Cacdac expressed appreciation fir the warm reception accorded him and emphasised the need to deepen the relations between Nigeria and the Philippines, particularly in the area of labor. According to him, Nigeria and the Philippines have to explore better ways of working together for the mutual interest of the two countries.
He said: “We have migration management system that has managed to document millions of Filipino workers overseas and we also have a system that ably fights human trafficking. “We have very good standing and rating in the latest US State Department Trafficking in Person Report.”
