The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has reiterated its commitment to combating migrant smuggling and safeguarding the rights and safety of migrants, as Nigeria joined the global community to mark International Migrants Day.
The pledge was made on Monday in Abuja at the Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Day event, where the Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mrs. Kemi Nandap, described migrant smuggling as a grave transnational crime that endangers human lives, undermines national security, and compromises border integrity.
Represented at the event by Deputy Comptroller-General Ada Umannah, the Comptroller-General noted that criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling have grown increasingly sophisticated, leveraging digital platforms, forging travel documents, and operating across borders to exploit vulnerable individuals seeking better opportunities abroad.
She said Nigeria’s position as a country of origin, transit, and destination for migrants makes it imperative for the Service to continuously adapt its strategies to address evolving trends in irregular migration.
According to her, the NIS, with the support of the Ministry of Interior under Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has strengthened border management through policy reforms, enhanced intelligence gathering, and the deployment of modern technology. These measures include the establishment of a Command and Control Centre, the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS), Advanced Passenger Information Systems (APIS), Passenger Name Records (PNR), e-gates at international airports, and electronic border solutions at more than 144 border locations nationwide.
Nandap also underscored the importance of international cooperation, citing partnerships with organisations such as ECOWAS, the African Union, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNODC, ICMPD, FIIAPP, and FRONTEX, which she said have strengthened capacity-building, joint investigations, and safe return programmes.
Beyond enforcement, she stressed the need for sustained public awareness, noting that many migrants fall prey to smugglers due to false promises of employment and improved living conditions abroad. She disclosed that in 2025 alone, over 200,000 National Youth Service Corps members were sensitised on the dangers of irregular migration, alongside nationwide outreach campaigns targeting youths, students, transport unions, and community groups.
Reaffirming the Service’s resolve, Nandap pledged that the NIS would continue to dismantle smuggling networks, protect vulnerable migrants—particularly women and children—and uphold the dignity and human rights of all migrants, regardless of their status.
She called for collective action, emphasising that the fight against migrant smuggling requires the active involvement of families, communities, civil society organisations, the media, and international partners.
