- Says border controls alone cannot stop irregular migration
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has warned that misinformation, deceptive travel promises and limited access to reliable migration information are exposing Nigerians to human trafficking, migrant smuggling and travel fraud, stressing that border enforcement alone cannot stem the tide of irregular migration.
The Service called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, security institutions, development partners, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, educational institutions, transport operators and the media to bridge information gaps and equip prospective migrants with the knowledge required to make safe and informed travel decisions.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, gave the warning in a speech delivered on her behalf by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of the Visa and Residency Directorate, Franca Nwanneka, at a Stakeholder Sensitisation and Engagement Seminar in Abuja on Wednesday.
The seminar, themed “Bridging the Information Gap: Promoting Informed, Safe and Regular Migration,” brought together stakeholders to examine practical strategies for addressing migration-related risks and strengthening Nigeria’s migration management framework.
Nandap observed that while migration remained a legitimate pursuit of education, employment, security and better economic opportunities, decisions based on false information, unrealistic promises and inadequate knowledge of lawful migration procedures could expose individuals to exploitation, abuse and other life-threatening consequences.
“Human trafficking, migrant smuggling, travel fraud, and irregular migration highlight the risk of inadequate information and intelligence sharing among operational stakeholders,” she said.
The NIS chief maintained that effective migration management must extend beyond border surveillance and enforcement to include sustained public education, timely information dissemination and stronger cooperation among institutions responsible for migration governance.
“Preventing these risks requires more than border control. It begins with equipping prospective migrants with accurate, timely, and reliable information to make informed decisions and pursue safe, lawful migration pathways,” she said.
She explained that many prospective migrants could fall victim to traffickers and fraudulent travel agents when they lacked the information needed to distinguish legitimate migration opportunities from deceptive offers.
Nandap said the NIS was strengthening its operational capacity through institutional reforms, modern border management technologies, intelligence gathering and improved service delivery.
She cited the deployment of the border control and immigration management system, alongside other technology-driven platforms, as part of efforts to establish a modern, responsive and intelligence-led immigration service.
However, she cautioned that technological advancement and enhanced border controls, though essential, could not independently address the underlying factors driving irregular migration.
“Nevertheless, we recognise that even the most sophisticated border management systems cannot on their own address the underlying factors that encourage irregular migration,” she said.
The Comptroller-General urged stakeholders to translate discussions into concrete actions capable of improving public awareness, countering misinformation and expanding access to reliable migration information, particularly in communities vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation.
She emphasised that migration sensitisation should not be treated as the exclusive responsibility of the NIS, but as a collective obligation requiring sustained engagement by public institutions, community leaders and other relevant actors.
“Migration sensitisation is a shared responsibility that cannot be left to the Nigeria Immigration Service alone,” she said.
According to her, the seminar was organised to assess existing sensitisation strategies, identify institutional gaps and explore how innovation, community participation and inter-agency cooperation could improve migration management across the country.
She expressed optimism that the presentations, technical sessions and roundtable discussions would produce practical recommendations for building a safer, more coordinated and responsive migration management system.
Nandap also commended partner institutions, development partners, resource persons and participants for their contributions to efforts aimed at strengthening migration governance in Nigeria.
IOM reaffirms partnership with NIS
Also speaking, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reaffirmed its commitment to deepening collaboration with the NIS to promote regular migration and address the challenges associated with unsafe and irregular movement across borders.
Nnenna Onuoha, Senior Programme Associate at IOM Nigeria, who represented the organisation’s Chief of Mission, Sharon Dimanche, described the partnership between both institutions as increasingly robust, with tangible results in addressing migration-related concerns.
“The relationship and the partnership between IOM and NIS have been and have continued to grow stronger and have produced tangible results,” Onuoha said.
She described the seminar as an important platform for stakeholders to explore how collective action could make regular migration more accessible, better understood and more widely embraced by Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad.
Onuoha conveyed the goodwill of the IOM Chief of Mission to participants and expressed the organisation’s expectation that the engagement would generate meaningful discussions and actionable recommendations.
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening stakeholder engagement, improving access to migration information and encouraging informed decisions, with the NIS exercising its statutory responsibilities for immigration control and migration management while the IOM supports cooperation on migration-related issues.
The seminar attracted representatives of security and law enforcement agencies, regional and international organisations, border management institutions, civil society groups, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, academic institutions and other relevant stakeholders.
Nwanneka formally declared the seminar open on behalf of the Comptroller-General, expressing the Service’s expectation that the deliberations would advance a safer, smarter and more coordinated approach to migration management in Nigeria.
The key challenge, however, remains translating the commitments into sustained public education, wider access to trustworthy migration information and effective coordination among relevant institutions.
For the NIS, the ultimate objective is to ensure that Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad can identify legitimate travel and employment options, recognise fraudulent schemes and understand lawful migration procedures before embarking on journeys that could expose them to trafficking, exploitation and other serious dangers.
