IOM unveils 25-year migration plan for Nigeria

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has unveiled a framework to guide Nigeria’s migration policies over the next 25 years, as the United Nations agency marked its silver jubilee in the country.

According to a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday by the organisation’s National Communications Officer Elijah Elaigwu, the framework, called Migration Vision @25, was unveiled in Abuja.

The event was attended by Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, and other government officials and development partners. Vice President Kashim Shettima sent a congratulatory message.

Mr Shettima stated that Nigeria could harness migration to promote economic growth by investing in skills development and creating opportunities for young people at home and abroad.

“Migration is not only a challenge to be managed; it is an opportunity to be harnessed,” he said.

He also called for greater engagement with Nigerians in the diaspora, citing their skills, investments, innovations and international networks as assets for national development.

According to the IOM, the new framework seeks to position Nigeria as a leading African hub for safe and productive migration and a competitive source of skills and talent.

It is built around three pillars: mobility, opportunity and resilience. Its priorities include protecting migrants, expanding regular migration routes, supporting returning migrants to rebuild their lives and finding lasting solutions for communities affected by displacement.

The initiative comes as Nigeria continues to face widespread displacement caused by conflict, insecurity and climate-related disasters.

Data published by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) on 1 October put Nigeria’s internally displaced population at 3,679,757. The country also had 141,688 refugees and asylum-seekers, bringing the total number of forcibly displaced people to more than 3.8 million.

Nigeria adopted a National Migration Policy in 2015 to address issues including irregular migration, border management, labour migration, migrants’ rights and diaspora engagement.

Contributing, Mr Doro stated that a revised National Migration Policy and its implementation plan had been approved on 19 August.

The minister explained that the revised policy provides for clearer responsibilities, measurable outcomes and improved migration data to support planning and reintegration.

The statement said environmental degradation and economic pressures were also increasing the vulnerability of affected communities. It noted that irregular migration could expose people to exploitation and other protection risks.

The relationship between the revised national policy and Migration Vision @25, including how the new framework will build on existing commitments, was not detailed in the agency’s announcement.

The IOM noted that it had provided humanitarian assistance to more than 2.5 million people since 2014 and supported nearly 500,000 displaced people with shelter.

It also helped more than 737,000 people access safe drinking water and facilitated the safe and voluntary return of over 72,000 Nigerian migrants.

Through its economic recovery programmes, the agency said it had created or restored more than 75,000 jobs through skills development and start-up support. It had also strengthened more than 2,150 small businesses and trained over 12,700 people in skills linked to market demand.

The agency stated that it had supported six major national migration policies and frameworks in collaboration with the Nigerian government and helped strengthen border management systems at 33 locations across the country.

The IOM’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Sylvia Ekra, said Nigeria could help shape migration across the region by investing in skills, expanding safe migration routes and strengthening cooperation between countries.

The agency’s Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Sharon Dimanche, stated that the anniversary was an opportunity to recognise the resilience of Nigerians and the impact of the organisation’s work.

“Twenty-five years ago, IOM began its journey in Nigeria with just two staff members working from a small office in Lagos,” she said.

Ms Dimanche noted that the agency hoped to help create a future in which fewer people were forced into vulnerable situations, and more had opportunities to thrive.