Solomon Okoduwa: An accomplished migration expert champions reforms, diaspora engagement

Solomon Okoduwa, Executive Director of the Initiative for Youth Awareness on Migration, Immigration, Development and Reintegration (IYAMIDR), is one of Nigeria’s leading advocates for migration reform, returnee reintegration and diaspora engagement, with more than a decade of experience in the sector.

Okoduwa heads IYAMIDR, a Benin City-based non-governmental organisation established in 2017 and registered under CAC RC No. 147593. The organisation focuses on promoting safe migration, supporting returnees and encouraging policies that transform what is commonly described as “brain drain” into “brain circulation.”

Under his leadership, IYAMIDR has expanded its activities across advocacy, research, policy engagement and community development while forging partnerships with local and international organisations.

Between 2020 and 2024, the organisation partnered with Germany’s DWTV on a migration awareness campaign led by journalist Jan Phillips Scholz. The initiative produced English and German television content examining the drivers of migration and reached audiences through the broadcaster’s global platforms.

In October 2019, Okoduwa led advocacy missions to Palermo and Genoa, Italy, where discussions were held with Palermo Mayor Leoluca Orlando and the President of Italy’s Liguria Region on creating legal migration pathways and improving documentation systems for Nigerian migrants.

The organisation also collaborated with the German Ethnological Museum at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin in 2019 to document the migration experiences of Nigerians in the diaspora. The project, undertaken with Prof. Christian Kosh and Prof. Dr. Alexis von Poser, contributed to the museum’s archival collections.

On anti-human trafficking, IYAMIDR partnered with Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPH) on a ₦3.2 million education campaign across Uhumwode, Egor and Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Areas of Edo State. The programme sensitised more than 3,000 students on the dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking while distributing educational materials.

The organisation also implemented a ₦5 million agribusiness empowerment programme in 2017, in collaboration with the Edo State Government, providing training and seed grants to 150 returnees to support sustainable livelihoods.

Between 2017 and 2020, IYAMIDR worked with Mater Africa International, Italy, to distribute medical supplies to more than 200 survivors of human trafficking in Orhion Community, Edo State.

The organisation says its sustained advocacy also contributed to the establishment of the Edo State Task Force Against Human Trafficking and Irregular Migration, regarded as Nigeria’s first state-level structure dedicated to tackling the challenge.

Okoduwa’s work centres on migration research, behavioural change communication, policy advocacy and building partnerships among government agencies, development organisations, academic institutions and diaspora communities. IYAMIDR has collaborated with institutions including the Edo State Government, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Nigeria, DWTV Germany, Mater Africa International and the German Ethnological Museum.

Speaking on his vision, Okoduwa said migration should be viewed as a development opportunity rather than solely a security concern.

“Migration is not the problem. The problem is when talent leaves and never returns value. Our work is to create the pathways, data, and dignity that make migration a choice, not a trap—and that make Nigeria a destination for expertise, not just a point of departure,” he said.

IYAMIDR is governed by a board of professionals drawn from public health, migration and community development, and continues to work with government institutions, media organisations, academia and international partners to promote safe migration, reintegration and sustainable development in Nigeria.