Nigeria's adoption of migration policy lauded

Lagos - The International Office of Migration (IOM) has hailed the Government’s adoption of the National Policy on Migration.

The continent’s most-populous country has adopted the policy with support from IOM and the European Union (EU).

Within the framework of the National 10th European Development Fund

project: “Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria,” IOM has supported Nigeria’s Technical Working Group (TWG) on Migration and Development throughout the development of the policy and been a strong advocate for its adoption.

The TWG is made up of ministries, departments and agencies, non-state actors, social partners, academia and development partners working on issues related to migration. It is chaired by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).

The policy and its implementation plan provide an appropriate legal framework for monitoring and regulating internal and international migration, and proper collection and dissemination of migration data.

The policy also addresses issues related to diaspora mobilization, border management, decent treatment of migrants, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers and the role of civil society in migration management, in order to ensure a more efficient management of migration in Nigeria.

“As a technical partner for the elaboration and adoption of the migration policy, IOM congratulates the Government of Nigeria on this important achievement," said IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission, Enira Krdzalic.

"We also take this opportunity to also thank the European Union for it generous support to the process. IOM encourages the government to establish sound mechanisms to ensure that there is smooth implementation of the policy. We remain committed to providing technical assistance towards its implementation.”

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the strong links between migration and national development, as migration can be beneficial to both sending and receiving countries, according to experts.

It is believed for Nigeria, a major country of origin, transit and destination in terms of global migration, the potential development benefits could be immense. 

- CAJ News