ABUJA – The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, security institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders to tackle irregular migration and protect prospective migrants from human trafficking, migrant smuggling and travel fraud.
The Service said addressing the challenges associated with irregular migration required more than border control, stressing the need for public sensitisation, accurate information and access to safe and lawful migration pathways.
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, made the call in a keynote address delivered on her behalf by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of the Visa and Residency Directorate, Franca Nwanneka, at a seminar on migration management.
The seminar, with the theme, “Bridging the Information Gap: Promoting Informed, Safe and Regular Migration,” brought together stakeholders from relevant institutions to examine ways of improving public awareness and addressing the challenges of irregular migration.
Nandap noted that people migrated for various reasons, including education, employment, safety and the pursuit of better opportunities, but warned that decisions influenced by misinformation, false promises and inadequate knowledge of lawful migration procedures could expose them to serious dangers.
She identified human trafficking, migrant smuggling, travel fraud and irregular migration as some of the risks associated with inadequate information and poor intelligence sharing among relevant stakeholders.
According to her, providing prospective migrants with accurate, timely and reliable information is essential to helping them make informed decisions and pursue safe and lawful migration opportunities.
The NIS boss reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to strengthening immigration control and migration management through institutional reforms, modern border management technologies, intelligence gathering and improved service delivery.
She said the ongoing deployment of the Border Control and Immigration Management System, alongside other technology-driven platforms, demonstrated the Service’s determination to build a modern, responsive and intelligence-led immigration system.
However, Nandap stressed that technological advancement alone could not address the underlying factors driving irregular migration, emphasising the need for coordinated action involving relevant institutions and communities.
She said public sensitisation, community engagement and inter-agency cooperation must remain central to efforts to prevent irregular migration and its associated dangers.
The Comptroller-General urged government agencies, security institutions, development partners, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations, educational institutions, transport operators and the media to translate discussions at the seminar into practical measures.
She said stakeholders must work together to combat misinformation, improve public awareness and ensure that reliable information on migration reaches prospective migrants across communities.
Nandap added that promoting informed, safe and regular migration was a collective responsibility that should not be left to the Nigeria Immigration Service alone.
Participants at the seminar also stressed the need for collective action, agreeing that tackling irregular migration required sustained collaboration among government institutions, security agencies and other stakeholders.
They called for stronger awareness campaigns and improved access to reliable migration information to help Nigerians understand the dangers of irregular migration and the importance of using established legal channels.
The seminar provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss practical approaches to closing information gaps, strengthening cooperation and promoting safer migration practices.