A regional information and sensitization strategy on free movement and migration was developed in coordination with both the Free Movement & Tourism and the Humanitarian & Social Affairs Directorates of the ECOWAS Commission. Based on this strategy, targeted public information and communication actions and materials was identified and a validation meeting was held the 26th of May 2017 prior to start the implementation of this activity.
The public information strategy was discussed extensively and some activities related to Free Movement activities were funded. The 1st March 2018, the Senegambia Free Movement Day was supported under the PI and visibility events and production of communication tools for the event were funded.

In partnership with the ECOWAS Commission, the Project has organized a multi-country sensitization and advocacy campaign to promote the use of the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) as a means to fight trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. The campaign took place from 23 April- 26 April 2019 in Nigeria, Benin Republic and Togo. As part of FMM West Africa’s public information strategy, the campaign advocated for the deployment of the ECOWAS NBIC, a new travel document, to promote and enhance safe mobility of ECOWAS citizens throughout the ECOWAS region while informing the public on the dangers of trafficking in persons and other cross-border crimes.
The campaign also emphasized on the importance of the Free Movement Protocols and the rights and benefits given by it to ECOWAS citizens when in possession of proper travel documents and identification. The itinerant campaign started at Mile 2 International Motor Park in Lagos then travelled to the Jonquet motor park in Cotonou, a known hotspot for human trafficking, and finally visited the Hilla-Condji (Benin/Togo) and Seme-Krake (Benin/Nigeria) borders. The main target beneficiaries included Nigerian and Beninese transporters and drivers; Nigerian, Beninese and Togolese law enforcement officers and border community members of Hilla-Condji and Seme-Krake borders.
Also, the campaign delegation included the participation of two Commissioners of Free Movement and Trade and Humanitarian and Social Affairs, the Directors of Free Movement and Humanitarian and Gender and their team, the Principal Officers of other Directorates (External Relations, Infrastructures, Communication); the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) led by the State Commander of the Lagos Command and 6 Seniors Officers from Abuja Headquarters; the Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and her team; the Ambassador of Benin to Nigeria; the AUBP /GIZ coordinator; the IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission and the Project team.
The activities included interactive sessions with Nigerian and Beninese transporters and drivers, town hall meeting with Benin Republic officials and relevant stakeholders, roundtable discussions with Nigerian, Beninese and Togolese law enforcement agencies and border operatives, and community engagement sensitization sessions with the cross-border communities of Hilla-Condji and Seme-Krake. The campaign delegation and Project team proceeded to the distribution of visibility materials including t-shirts, car stickers, air fresheners, caps and jackets with the campaign slogan of “One Card- Promote Free Movement, Stop Human Trafficking.” They also handover permanent banner to the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the Unions of Transporters in Benin.
The campaign reached over 4,000 communities’ members, 1500 transporters, 400 law enforcement officers and border operatives. A media campaign was launched alongside with the three major Nigerian television news organizations (Channels Television, the African Independent Television (AIT) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). Each organization aired the campaign as a TV documentary resulting in AIT receiving an estimated 1.6 million views, Channels Television’s segment being aired on satellite television and NTA’s segment being aired in all thirty-six states of Nigeria. Additionally, Channels Television’s segment appeared on its Africa 54 programme for international audience.
As a follow-up to the campaign, members of the campaign delegation were invited by numerous television and radio organizations to further discuss the campaign, ENBIC, trafficking in persons, free movement and irregular migration issues in the West African region.

in partnership with the ECOWAS Commission conducted the Advocacy and Sensitization Campaign on Free Movement and Migration in Accra, Ghana, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and at the Elubo-Noe border between both countries.

The six-day campaign aimed to sensitize ECOWAS Community Citizens and migrants, relevant stakeholders and the general public in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire on the benefits and opportunities of free movement and migration in the ECOWAS region which comprises 15 countries. The campaign focused on addressing the specific challenges, such as traveling without valid travel documents, harassment and administrative challenges at the border posts, trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants and the lack of knowledge and awareness of the protocols of free movement, which are affecting the effective implementation of free movement and mobility in the region. The campaign also worked towards fostering a sense of personal responsibility, motivation and commitment to overcoming the obstacles of free movement and safe migration throughout the ECOWAS region.

As part of the campaign, stakeholder meetings were conducted in Accra and Abidjan where representatives from the government, immigration, customs, local authorities, unions and networks of traders and transporters, youth associations, development partners and the diplomatic corps were brought together to discuss free movement and migration in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire specifically and in the ECOWAS region. The campaign also conducted focus groups with local authorities and law enforcement, cross-border traders, youth, and transporters, associations of returning migrants, law enforcement, the Elubo-Noe border operatives and community members.

A documentary, social media video clips and a photobook of the advocacy and Sensitization Campaign were produced (es 150, 151 and 152).

The campaign’s overall objective is to raise awareness among ECOWAS Community Citizens, Stakeholders and Non-State actors in the target locations to enhance their understanding of free movement and migration within ECOWAS region as well as identifying the benefits and opportunities of the ECOWAS integration agenda. The campaign also seeks to sensitize relevant stakeholders and the public on the importance of free movement and migration in the ECOWAS sub-region. The campaign will foster a sense of personal responsibility, motivation and commitment to alleviating the impediments to the realization of free movement and safe migration throughout the ECOWAS region.

Part 1: Togo and Ghana
From 11 – 12 February 2020, the project alongside the ECOWAS Commission conducted the Advocacy and Sensitization on Free Movement and Migration in Togo, Ghana and the Kodjoviakope/Aflao border between the two countries. An advance mission, with a team consisting of staff from IOM and the ECOWAS Directorate of Free Movement, was conducted from 6 – 10 February 2020 to finalize the preparation for the campaign with the ECOWAS national units of Togo and Ghana and national stakeholders.
A national stakeholder meeting was conducted in Lomé and was followed by a cross-border law enforcement meeting with Togolese and Ghanaian law enforcement operatives and focus groups with community members on the Kodjoviakope (Togo) and Aflao (Ghana) sides of the border. Campaign visibility (t-shirts and face caps) were produced and distributed during the event. A photobook and report of the advocacy and sensitization campaign were also produced (es 154 and 155)

Part 2: Côte d’Ivoire, Guinée, Liberia, Sierra Leone
As part two of the four-part campaign, an advance mission, consisting of a team of staff from IOM and the ECOWAS Directorate of Free Movement, was conducted from 8 – 20 March 2020. Due to the number of countries covered in this phase, the advance team was divided into two teams. Team A covered the preparations at the Côte d’Ivoire / Guinée and Côte d’Ivoire /Liberia borders and Team B covered the preparations at the Liberia/Guinée and Liberia/Sierra Leone borders.

Due the COVID-19 outbreak, all preparations have been put on hold and are expected to start up again once restrictions have been lifted.

Several meetings have taken place with the ECOWAS Commission to define the support to be provided by the Project in terms of the donor coordination mechanism. While the ECOWAS Commission is not in favour of establishing a new thematic working group on migration specifically, a migration stakeholders meeting has been considered to enhance the coordination of migration initiatives and aid resource mobilization for migration related priorities of the ECOWAS Commission. Participants to this meeting would include donors, embassies, international organizations, and other actors working on migration in the region. It was decided that the mapping would be presented at a stakeholders’ meeting, and serve to highlight thematic areas where more funding and coordination is required. It would thus inform the discussions at the meeting and should aid in the development of strategies for resource mobilization