NIS launches nationwide drive on Migration Policy
By Justina Asishana, Minna The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, has kicked off the nationwide sensitisation and workshop on Nigeria’s validated National Migration Policy (2025) for its officers in
By Justina Asishana, Minna
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, has kicked off the nationwide sensitisation and workshop on Nigeria’s validated National Migration Policy (2025) for its officers in Minna, describing the exercise as a strategic capacity-building drive to equip officers for effective implementation.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening session, Nandap said the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) plays a key role as a major stakeholder in the policy’s validation because migration dynamics have grown more complex and fast-changing.
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Nandap, who was represented by the Niger State Comptroller of Immigration Service, Hope Maduka, highlighted recent NIS reforms, which include the e-Visa regime, contactless passport application system, e-border solution infrastructure, passport personalisation centre and the Ecowas National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) as practical steps toward modernising migration governance and bolstering national security.
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“Nigeria’s first comprehensive National Migration Policy was adopted in 2015 to establish a coordinated framework for safe, orderly and regular migration. The 2025 edition builds on that foundation, addressing new realities, enhancing inter-agency coordination and aligning the country with global standards, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Compact for Migration.
“The updated policy continues to treat borders as both the first line of defence against human trafficking, migrant smuggling, terrorism and transnational crime, and as gateways for legitimate trade, investment and tourism,” she said.
The training had five objectives which include to explain the concept and importance of the National Migration Policy; to enable officers to apply its provisions in real operational scenarios; to deepen understanding of the relationship between policy, law and enforcement; to prepare participants to effectively train other officers at command level; and to promote uniformity in migration management practices nationwide.
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Nandap told officers that the policy’s success hinges on implementation. “Your understanding and application of the policy provisions are essential. The nationwide sensitisation is, therefore, designed as a strategic capacity-building initiative so that every immigration operative internalises the guidelines and translates them into improved operational performance,” she said.
She reminded participants that the NIS mandate centres on border governance and migration management, but effective delivery requires sustained inter-agency collaboration and a careful balance between security and the facilitation of lawful movement.
The policy, she added, positions migration as a driver of national development, security and international cooperation while remaining humane and responsive to Nigeria’s priorities.
The Comptroller-General urged engagement in the workshops so that officers could convert the knowledge gained to build a migration system that is secure, efficient and aligned with national goals.
She said that the exercise would reach NIS commands and would mark the rollout of the policy’s implementation.
