WorldStage– The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has called for better collaborations with Italy and stricter measures against human trafficking to the European country.
Abbas said though Italy remains one of the biggest hosts of Nigerians in the European Union (EU), it is also a major destination for traffickers and their victims.
The Speaker made the plea during a courtesy visit by the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Roberto Mengoni, to his office.
He said: “On the issue of migration, which you have just mentioned, bearing that Nigeria has 137,000 migrants residing in your country, is something worthy of note.
“I also want to bring up one thorny issue that the governments of Italy and Nigeria have been addressing over the years, and that is the issue of human trafficking, particularly women. Italy remains one of the major destinations for trafficking over the last 30 years.
“I hope and sincerely believe that under your leadership here, Nigeria and Italy will continue to push and push until we eradicate this very serious menace. It is something that is a big stigma to our country, and I am sure it is the same thing with the government of Italy.”
The Speaker equally called for stronger ties with Italy, especially on health, education, and energy, among others.
He also noted that one of the initiatives under his leadership of the House is parliamentary friendship groups with 78 countries in the world, including Italy.
“There are so many wonderful things happening in the area of economy between Nigeria and Italy,” he said.
The Speaker, in addition, made reference to the Nigeria-Italy Binational Commission proposed by Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry to facilitate bilateral relations on security and economy between the countries.
While stating that “Nigeria is blessed with abundance of manpower,” the Speaker called for favourable immigration policies that allow legal pathways for skilled workers in Nigeria.
He said: “Your country (Italy) is one of the most important countries to Nigeria. Our history, our journey, politically, has been a very long one. For us, we grew up to know several Italian companies especially big players in the construction industry. So, Italy is a household name in Nigeria, and I want to emphatically say that we in the House are very appreciative of the very wonderful relationship between Nigeria and Italy.
“I’m also happy to hear, for the first time, that Nigeria has one of the largest immigrants – the third – in the EU, which is a record. It goes to show the accommodating nature of the Italian people to Africans.”
Addressing the Speaker earlier, Ambassador Mengoni noted that he was posted to Nigeria in October 2025, saying the visit was part of his duty to meet with leaders and critical stakeholders un Nigeria.
The Ambassador stated that the Italian Embassy is “taking care of and developing more and more relationships with Nigeria” especially political, economic and cultural ties “as much as we can.”
While the Italian Ambassador emphasised commercial and social relations between Italy and Nigeria, he called for more exchanges between African and European countries.
Ambassador Mengoni recalled that President Tinubu was in Rome for an international conference on counter-terrorism, noting that the countries “share common interests,” adding that, “We hope to see more visits in the near future.”
He stressed that Italy and Nigeria can share ideas on democracy and rule of law, noting, “There are many things that can be done.”
