Support to Migration Governance in Nigeria

Introduction

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, faces mounting migration pressures driven by unemployment, insecurity, climate-related displacement, and socio-political instability. The country is a hub for diverse migration flows, acting as a source, transit point, and destination country for migration. While Nigeria has developed progressive migration frameworks, implementation gaps persist at federal and especially sub-national levels.

The ‘Support to Migration Governance in Nigeria’ action aims to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to manage migration effectively and sustainably. Spanning from 2024 to 2029, the programme operates at federal and state levels and is aligned with national and regional priorities, including Nigeria's National Migration Policy and ECOWAS frameworks. It also contributes to the EU’s Team Europe Initiatives on migration and the SDGs, particularly SDG 16. With a total budget of EUR 28 million fully funded by the EU, it builds on previous EU-supported interventions to reinforce Nigeria’s institutional structures, return and reintegration systems, and response to human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

Key activities include:

Strengthening migration governance frameworks and coordination mechanisms
Expanding reintegration support services
Enhancing border management and labour migration systems
Improving data management and diaspora engagement

In parallel, targeted actions will increase national capacity to prevent, protect against, and prosecute trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants, with special attention to vulnerable groups such as women and children.

Scope and objectives

Despite having one of the most advanced migration governance structures in West Africa, Nigeria faces major capacity and coordination gaps, particularly in the implementation of national migration and labour policies. Challenges include irregular migration, poor border governance, inadequate reintegration support, limited diaspora engagement, insufficient data systems, and vulnerable civil society capacity.

The programme will undertake the following activities to address these problems:

Strengthen migration governance policies and frameworks at national and subnational levels
Build capacity for border management and data collection and analysis
Support returnees with post-arrival and long-term reintegration services
Operationalise labour and diaspora engagement frameworks
Enhance policy coordination, protection, prosecution, and prevention systems for trafficking of human beings and smuggling of migrants
Promote inter-agency and cross-border cooperation
Improve coordination among key migration stakeholders
Empower civil society and community-based actors on reintegration support

Results

The programme is expected to achieve the following results:

Strengthened migration policy frameworks and coordination mechanisms
Enhanced capacity for migration data collection and analysis
Improved border and labour migration management systems
Increased diaspora engagement for national development
Expanded and improved post-arrival and community-based reintegration services
Strengthened local actor capacity to deliver sustainable reintegration
Support for Migrant Resource Centres and TVET centres
Operationalised anti-trafficking policies and action plans
Improved protection mechanisms for victims of trafficking, especially in high-risk and border areas
Enhanced capacity of law enforcement and the judiciary for investigation and prosecution
Strengthened inter-agency and international cooperation on cases of trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants

About the project

The most important partners are: National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and the Network of Civil Society Organizations Against Child trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL).

Related projects

Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa (MPRR-SSA)
Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa – Phase II (FMM West Africa II)

Implementing Partners

International Organization for Migration (Component 1+2); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas/the Foundation for the Internationalization of Public Administrations (FIAP) (Component 3)

Funding instrument

NDICI – Global Europe