The Executive Director of PCI, Comrade Osita Osemene, commended the state government for selecting the organisation as a beneficiary of its 2026 Public Service Week celebration, describing the gesture as timely, particularly amid rising living costs and preparations for the festive season.
Osemene said the donation would help ease the financial burden of catering for residents at the shelter, especially as the prices of essential commodities, including food, were expected to increase during the yuletide period.
He also praised the government for extending the support without discrimination, despite PCI not being indigenous to Lagos State.
According to him, the gesture demonstrated the government’s recognition of the organisation’s contributions to society, irrespective of geographical considerations.
The items were presented on Thursday at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, following an invitation dated 10 November from the Ministry of Youth and Social Development.
In its invitation, the ministry said PCI was selected in recognition of its contributions to the care and well-being of vulnerable persons, noting that the initiative reflected the state government’s commitment to supporting organisations that complement its social welfare programmes.
Established in 2021, PCI operates a shelter for male migrant returnees in the Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos, providing temporary accommodation and rehabilitation for returned migrants, including survivors of human trafficking and Nigerians stranded abroad.
The facility was established to address a gap in migrant protection, particularly the limited availability of dedicated accommodation for male returnees. It has a reported capacity of about 40 residents.
Its interventions include psychosocial support, healthcare referrals, vocational training, livelihood empowerment and assistance with sustainable reintegration into society.
PCI said it provided shelter and rehabilitation support to 45 male migrant returnees in 2023, including Nigerians and foreign nationals returning from countries such as Libya, Gabon, Morocco, Mali, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy.
The organisation also reported that its wider interventions had benefited more than 450 returned migrants and over 100 survivors of human trafficking.
Osemene reaffirmed PCI’s commitment to working with the Lagos State Government and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen protection, rehabilitation and reintegration services for vulnerable migrants and trafficking survivors.
