Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria (2011 - 2018)

The  'Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria' project supported by the European Union under the 10th European Development Fund and implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) commenced in July 2011 and ended in January 2018. UNODC's implementation approach on the project cut across the 4 'P's approach of Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Policy. The overall goal of the project was to support the Government of Nigeria to curb irregular migration by combating and reducing Trafficking In Persons (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM).

The project was implemented in partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), the main national partner as well as the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Network of Civil Society Organisations Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL). These partners played critical roles in the project implementation in particular in the area of improved policy and institutional measures as well as in catalysing public support and involvement to help prevent and protect the impact of human trafficking on the victims, their families and to prosecute their traffickers.

Significant achievement was recorded in 2015 with the Presidential assent given to two major laws supported by the project namely the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, which repealed the former Act and renamed the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Immigration Amendment Act, 2015. The latter replaced the moribund Immigration Act of 1963 and aims to establish a legal framework that reflects existing modern migration management and border management whilst establishing provisions on and strict penalties for migrant smuggling.

Aside from the significant achievement on the legislative framework, other major milestones provided for national partners include, amongst others, institution building support, skills and knowledge enhancement of personnel, development of institutional instruments and massive awareness campaigns including through short films. The project created awareness about the perils of irregular migration as well as on the the need for increase interventions towards preventing trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling, protecting the victims and prosecuting the perpetrators of this crime.