Nigeria at a crossroads: The political stakes of migration governance

Key Messages

• Since 2014, Nigeria has outlined several initiatives on migration, including a National Migration Policy, strategies on labor migration and diaspora matters, and a coordinating framework to reform migration governance. However, in order to have a significant impact, the policy frameworks need full implementation.
• When it comes to migration, the Nigerian government is active on policy development but less so on putting it into effect.
• This tendency is exemplified by a proactive interest in diaspora migration yet a much more reactive approach toward irregular migration and trafficking. Governance initiatives in this area are dominated by international and nongovernmental actors.
• At worst, there is a divergence of interests between the Nigerian government and the EU with respect to legal pathways, border management, returns, and reintegration.
• Despite a sophisticated governance framework, the country is stalling on action, with few actors calling for more engagement in migration governance and wide acceptance of the status quo.
• If the EU wishes to cooperate on migration, it needs to consider
• Nigerian interests (or the lack thereof) or risk increasing the divergence of interests and damaging the chances of implementation.