Nigeria adopts revised migration policy to protect migrants, aid reintegration

Nigeria has taken a significant step towards better migration management with the Federal Executive Council's adoption of the Revised National Migration Policy. Dr. Bernard Doro, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, hailed the decision as a milestone in strengthening migrant protection, aiding the reintegration of returning Nigerians, and leveraging migration for national development.

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The framework would strengthen the protection of migrants, expand opportunities for safe and regular migration, improve support for Nigerians returning home, enhance migration and diaspora data, and maximise the developmental contributions of migration.

The revised policy emerged from a comprehensive review and consultation process involving various government bodies, state governments, civil society organizations, academics, and development partners. It aims to establish a robust national framework that translates Nigeria's international migration commitments into coordinated actions. The policy seeks to bolster the protection of migrants, create more avenues for safe and regular migration, enhance support systems for Nigerians returning home, improve the collection and use of migration data, and maximize the developmental contributions of migration.

Minister Doro highlighted the policy's significance, particularly following Nigeria's participation in the 2026 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) at the United Nations. He noted that Nigeria used the global platform to showcase its progress in implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The adoption of the revised policy domestically provides the necessary national framework to operationalize these international commitments effectively.

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Our participation at the International Migration Review Forum demonstrated Nigeria’s commitments to the world. The adoption of the Revised National Migration Policy brings those commitments home and provides the national framework for translating them into coordinated and measurable action.

The minister stressed that the success of migration governance should ultimately be measured by its tangible impact on Nigerians, both within the country and abroad. "Migration should not become a journey into vulnerability," Doro stated, emphasizing the government's responsibility to create systems that ensure safe and regular migration, protect individuals on the move, support returnees, and utilize migration as a positive force for national development. The policy, developed with technical support from the International Organization for Migration, is designed to strengthen institutional coordination and adapt to evolving migration trends.

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Migration should not become a journey into vulnerability. Our responsibility is to build systems that enable Nigerians to migrate safely and regularly, protectg those who move, support those who return, and harness migration as a force for national development.