Learning Awareness Counselling and Empowerment (LACE) along the Central Mediterranean Route
One-on-one counselling, school outreach, and community engagement to shift migration behaviour along the Central Mediterranean Route
The LACE project combined personalised counselling, educational outreach in schools, influencer-led social media campaigns, and community awareness events to reach potential and transit migrants in Nigeria, Niger, and Tunisia. Implemented by Seefar under the European Union's AMIF fund, LACE took a multilayered approach to shifting migration behaviour, meeting people where they are – from classrooms to community gatherings to social media feeds.
Note: This project is still ongoing. While the counselling, educational outreach, events, and core social media campaign components have been completed, the local actors-led campaign in Tunisia is scheduled to take place through early 2025.
The Challenge
Along the Central Mediterranean Route, potential migrants in Nigeria, Niger, and Tunisia face significant risks, yet many make migration decisions based on misinformation, social pressure, or limited awareness of legal alternatives and local opportunities.
Our Approach
Seefar deployed a four-pronged strategy: one-on-one counselling, school-based educational outreach, influencer-powered social media campaigns, and community awareness events, reaching individuals at every stage of the migration decision-making process.
Project Details
| Timeline | July 2023 – April 2025 (Ongoing) |
| Countries | Nigeria, Niger, Tunisia |
| Target Audience | Potential and transit migrants (18–44), community and household influencers, local actors, and educators |
| Beneficiaries Reached | 7,185 counselling beneficiaries; 8M+ social media engagements; 5,556 awareness raising event participants; 4,400 students and 119 educators through outreach; 162 local actors |
How the Project Worked
One-on-One Counselling That Shifts Behaviour
The foundation of the LACE project is its personalised approach. Through 7,185 individual consultations, the project supported potential irregular migrants and migrants in transit in understanding their options – both the risks of irregular migration and the potential of legal or local alternatives. Delivered across Nigeria, Niger, and Tunisia, these sessions helped people pause, reflect, and often choose a new path.
Post-consultation results were compelling: 69% of beneficiaries disengaged from irregular migration entirely, and 55% cancelled their migration plans. Nearly half shifted their focus to job opportunities or local entrepreneurship. 94% of consultees found the information trustworthy, and 85% considered it directly relevant to their situation.
"I was desperate to travel irregularly to chase my football dreams. But the session changed everything. I was enlightened about the risks, and I've decided not to take the unsafe route."
– Male potential migrant, 18–24, Nigeria
Youth Community Event with Football Club, Lagos, Nigeria
Educating the Next Generation: Awareness Raising Sessions in Schools
A standout element of LACE was its Educational Outreach component, implemented in schools and youth centres in Nigeria and Tunisia. In Nigeria alone, 89 teachers were trained and delivered 84 sessions that reached 4,400 students, while 4,000 comic books helped bring migration risks and stories to life in classrooms.
Teachers showed lasting engagement: 100% remained motivated 3 to 6 months later, 91% shared their knowledge with colleagues, and 24% went beyond the curriculum to hold extra sessions for parents.
The sessions reduced interest in irregular migration among students and educators alike. Teachers who had considered migrating irregularly before the training had all changed their minds by follow-up.
"The training broadened my knowledge on prevention and creating awareness for my students."
– 42-year-old female teacher, Edo State, Nigeria
LACE comic book used in Educational Outreach sessions
Social Media Campaign Boosted by Partnering with Influencers
The project's online campaign achieved over 8 million engagements and reached tens of thousands through influencer-led content and optimised Meta campaigns. Through partnerships with relatable, regional voices like Louay Cherni in Tunisia and Odogwu Kiwi in Nigeria, the campaign directly reached young audiences at risk.
A single influencer video in Tunisia generated a 600% increase in signups. Content driven by social media influencers consistently outperformed standard ads, achieving up to 98% lower costs per signup and 300% more engagement on average than original content.
A/B testing showed that risk-based messaging worked best with men, while content highlighting family impact and hope resonated more with women. These learnings will shape future migration communication efforts in the region.
Louay Cherni, Tunisian activist and social media influencer, promoting TMP consultation service to his followers
Community-Led Dialogues Driving Local Ownership of Migration Messaging
LACE's awareness raising events in Nigeria and Niger fostered open dialogue on migration risks and alternatives through culturally relevant formats. In Nigeria, 19 community events reached nearly 600 participants, with support from 50 local organisations and agencies. Topics included trafficking, financial risks, and local job opportunities.
In Niger, 1,340 youth took part in structured sessions at youth centres, while 20 local radio shows reached over six million listeners. Forums led by local artists and returnees sparked powerful conversations, and 15 documentary screenings encouraged reflection and debate. Together, these activities brought migration awareness into everyday spaces, empowering communities with knowledge and safer choices.
Similar activities are planned in Tunisia, with a focus on engaging youth through schools, civil society, and government centres, including scout-led peer outreach, workshops through social defence centres, and artistic youth mentoring programmes.
LACE Community influencers event, Lagos, Nigeria
Key Achievements
5,556 people engaged in awareness events
8,000,000+ social media engagements
7,185 individual counselling sessions delivered
119 educators trained, reaching 4,400 students in Nigeria
69% disengaged from irregular migration after consultation
94% trust in information; 85% found consultations relevant
1 research study on migration information and misinformation across Nigeria, Niger, and Tunisia
3,798 referrals made to local opportunities and services
Learning and Looking Forward
LACE demonstrated the power of meeting people where they are – in classrooms, community spaces, and online – with tailored, trustworthy information. The combination of individual counselling and community-level engagement created both personal behaviour change and broader shifts in migration narratives at the local level.
The influencer partnership model proved transformative, dramatically reducing costs and increasing reach compared to standard advertising. Future projects should invest further in identifying and supporting authentic regional voices as a core part of their outreach strategy.
Educational outreach in schools showed exceptional staying power. Teachers not only retained and applied what they learned, but actively extended the programme's reach beyond its original scope. Embedding migration awareness in school curricula offers a scalable, sustainable model for lasting behaviour change.