Toronto Summit: JIFORM President Meets Weiner, ex-Canadian secretary, Director Immigration

As countdown begins to the 4th Journalists International Forum For Migration (JIFORM) Global Migration summit in Toronto, Canada, the President of the non-profit body of over 300 journalists and other volunteers focusing on migration across the continents, Dr Ajibola Abayomi, has held a strategic meeting with a former Secretary of State and Minister of Immigration in Canada, Honourable Gerry Weiner and a Director of Immigration, James Metcaife.

The meeting, held virtually, among other things reviewed the mode of preparations for the event with the theme: ‘Climate Change, Human Mobility and Sustainable Investment slated for between October 2-14, 2023 to accommodate both virtual and physical participations.

Ajibola, who is also scheduled to meet with Canadian High Commissioner in Nigeria soon, expressed readiness of the host of the summit, Abedorc Productions Inc, Canada to mobilize local resources and other logistics towards a successful outing, adding that plans were underway to get another venue to serve the event better.

Hon. Weiner, currently the executive director, Global Relations, Partnerships, and Customer Satisfaction, APS Canada Startup Visas promised to do all he could towards the success of the event by ensuring that relevant Canadian authorities were adequately carried along and called for further review of the action plans to meet the required expectations.

In February 2021, Hon. Weiner, a serial international awardee featured in the maiden African Migration Summit facilitated by the JIFORM in partnership with the Nekotech Center of Excellence, Accra in Ghana and was Guest Speaker at the previous JIFORM Annual Global Summit, including the West African Media Migration Summit held in Togo in June 2021.

He praised the JIFORM President and other members of the forum for their bravery and consistency on regular migration advocacy over the years.

On his part, James Metcaife was impressed that the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chief Christopher Isiguso and some other members of the JIFORM that took part in the 3rd edition of the summit held in Toronto in 2022, had already been issued visas to be part of the 2023 edition.

Wishing the JIFORM fruitful deliberations, Metcaife counseled on the need to strictly complied with the Canadian rules in order to ensure that other applicants get their visas approved on time.

James Metcaife, was a long time Canadian Foreign Service officer, specializing in immigration, with numerous posts abroad as well as in Canada and on retirement, he leads his own independent Immigration Consultancy.

He later merged his practice with Pace Law firm, where he served as Director of Immigration. Today, he is a specialist with APS global partners, ranking as one of the finest minds the immigration department has ever produced.

Dignitaries expected to participate in the program include a United Nations representative on Migration Issues, Ms Nervin Ahmad from the US, Professor Byron Price of the Medgars Evers College, City University, New York, USA, Philomena Gnanapragasam, the Director, of Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) and Ms. Phelisa Nkomo from South Africa.

Invitations have also been extended to the African Union Labour Migration Advisory Committee, Dr Princess Kabuki Asie Ocansey, United Nations Non-Governmental Organization, First Fridays Toronto and Canada- Africa Chamber of Business.

The JIFORM, had also organized an Intercontinental Migration Summit in the United States of America between November 2-4, 2022 in partnership with the foremost Urban Medgar Evers College, City University, Brooklyn in New York, with participation from several countries.