Migrant Assistance
Migration Governance and Reintegration in Nigeria
More than 7,000 stranded Nigerian migrants have returned home safely from 20+ countries across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa through IOM’s voluntary return and reintegration support, since starting the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme nationally in 2001. AVRR supports a variety of migrants who wish to return home, including those who travelled for economic reasons, unaccompanied children and survivors of trafficking. IOM interviews them and assists with travel logistics and flights. Many receive protection support as well. Once in Nigeria, the most vulnerable are offered additional support through in-kind reintegration assistance to start businesses, study, pay medical fees, and others.
Sustainable Development Goals: 5 (Gender Equality), 6 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)
Donor: The European Union Trust Fund
Immigration and Border Management
Expanding Land and Sea Border Data Systems in Nigeria (ELSBDS I)
IOM works to strengthen Nigeria Immigration Service’s (NIS) capacity to oversee and manage cross-border movements at the country’s land and sea borders, reducing incidences of irregular migration and human trafficking. With initial support from EU, Japan and Switzerland, IOM provides the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) to facilitate digital data collection and storage. In addition to training of immigration officers for sustainability on the use of the technology, IOM also provides the solar-power technology required to ensure stable and regular use of MIDAS at different land and sea borders. Nigeria currently has MIDAS installed at nine border control posts.
Donors: The Federal Foreign Office of Germany and German Cooperation
Facilitating Migration through Supporting the Rollout of Nigeria’s National Biometric Identification Card (NBIC) for Intra-ECOWAS Travel, and BIOMETRIC Registration of Foreign Nationals (NBIC-REG Nigeria)
The NBIC initiative is designed to support Nigeria in meeting its own national goals of improved foreigner registration and harmonized biometric data, and in fulfilling its commitments under the December 2014 ECOWAS Decision. The two-year (mid-2017 to mid-2019) project focuses on three main result areas:
- Ensuring that NIS is fully prepared organizationally and technically to begin issuance of a Nigerian NBIC;
- Developing and pilot testing a new foreigner registration system, inclusive of biometrics;
- Reviewing and aligning all NIS biometric data sets to ensure interoperability with other standards biometric data systems for identification and verification actions across all concerned agencies.
Donors: The Federal Foreign Office of Germany and German Cooperation
Enhancing Land and Sea Border Data Systems in Nigeria II (ELSBDS II)
Under this project, the MIDAS installation at one additional border point between Nigeria and Niger was also supported by a solar power system. More NIS officers at both the Service headquarters and the Border Control Post equipped will be trained on the use of the MIDAS software. The project is also aimed at providing structured opportunities for enhanced cross-border cooperation at and near the newly equipped Border Control Post between Nigeria and Niger. By Mid-2019, a total of 15 land border control posts will have been equipped with MIDAS and supported by solar power.
Donor: Government of Switzerland
Nigeria Immigration Service Training Strategy Implementation, Programme (Phase 1)
In 2015, IOM supported the Nigeria Immigration Service to develop “corporate” Training Strategy with a new vision to meet Nigeria Immigration Service human resource development goals. The primary purpose of the Strategy is to provide strategic guidance to training within the Service to ensure that all personnel possess the knowledge, skills and behavioural characteristics needed to carry out the mandate and specific mission and duties of the Service in a manner consistent with its overall vision. IOM is supporting the implementation of this Programme through three different projects to be implemented in a total of six State Commands and the Service Headquarters
Donors: GIZ, the Netherlands and Government of Switzerland
Enhancing Air Border Data Systems in Nigeria I (EABDS I, Nigeria)
IOM is working to significantly strengthen Nigeria Immigration Service’s (NIS) ability to inspect, control and facilitate cross-border movement at air borders through the use of the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS). The EABDS project is aimed at installing MIDAS at Nigeria’s five major international airports that operate year-round. MIDAS at the air borders will enable NIS to fully integrate INTERPOL and national watch list data into the air passenger screening system, and will also enable the Government of Nigeria to implement the Advanced Passenger Information (API batch) system, which is now required by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Donor: Government of Denmark
Labour and Facilitated Migration
Migration Governance and Reintegration in Nigeria
IOM supported the implementation of the Labour Migration Policy Action Plan, which was aimed at managing labour migration and mobilizing diaspora for national development. To this end, IOM established three Migrant Resource Centers – Abuja, Lagos and Benin City. The centers, in conjunction with their host – the government’s Ministry of Labour and Employment – offer extensive information on migration options to empower potential Nigerian labour migrants to make informed decisions. Computers and internet access are also available to facilitate research, CV development, etc. More than 500 migrants have used the centers’ services, including counselling on migrants’ rights and opportunities.
Sustainable Development Goals: 8 and 10
Donor: The European Union Trust Fund
Operations and Emergencies
Multisectoral Humanitarian Response to Conflict-Affected Populations in North-East Nigeria
IOM has supported more than 780,000 displaced people and host community members across northeast Nigeria since starting the emergency response in 2014. IOM provides mental health and psychosocial support, provides non-food items (NFI), shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services to displaced families, and supports the government and partners in camp management and camp coordination (CCCM). IOM also co-leads the Shelter and NFI/CCCM sector. IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) teams gather extensive data, including through biometric registration, to inform the humanitarian community on displacement and the affected population’s needs.
Sustainable Development Goals: 3, 4, 5 and 11
Donors: USAID, SIDA, Germany, ECHO, CERF, NHF, France; Canada; Switzerland, Norway
Migration Health
Migration Health Assessments and Travel Health Assistance
IOM provides migration health services at its Migration Health Assessment Centers (MHAC) in Abuja and Lagos to facilitate migration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Over the last four years (2014-2017), more than 59,000 Nigerian migrants have benefitted from immigration medical services. The two centers offer same-day services tailored to destination country immigration medical exam requirements including TB screening, vaccination, STI screenings and general physical examination. MHACs also provide the opportunity for Nigerians to manage their health before travel and while abroad, through referrals, by diagnosing and/or treating any existing conditions.
Sustainable Development Goal: 3
Donors: Self-paid Programme
Migration Policy
Migration Governance and Reintegration in Nigeria
The adoption of the two migration policies – the National Labour Migration Policy in 2014 and the National Policy on Migration in 2015 involved extensive consultative processes of stakeholders. IOM Nigeria helped review the policies to ensure that emerging migration issues were well captured and facilitated the high-level meetings that lead to the adoption of drafts and final policies. IOM continues to work on implementing the policies’ action plans. IOM’s migration policy research contributes to evidence-based policies on migration that address the needs of migrants and supports the national capacity to address them.
Sustainable Development Goals: 10 and 17
Donor: The European Union Trust Fund
Last Updated: March 2018
