Nigeria and the International Organisation for Migration are pushing for bigger spending on migration governance to ensure people can move safely and legally while their rights stay protected. The call came on Tuesday in Abuja during celebrations marking five years of the COMPASS programme, a migration management project funded by the Dutch government and run by the IOM.
Since its 2021 launch, COMPASS has worked to build stronger migration systems, improve cooperation between agencies, and tackle the root causes that drive people towards irregular migration across multiple nations.
Sharon Dimanche, the IOM's chief representative in Nigeria, said migration has always shaped human societies, but managing it humanely demands shared effort from all parties. She praised Nigeria and the Netherlands for backing the partnership, which she said had strengthened migration institutions and bolstered protections for people at risk.
"We must continue to invest in stronger institutions, better protection systems, sustainable reintegration programmes and safe migration pathways," Dimanche told the gathering. She added that five years of collaboration had shown what governments and partners can achieve when they unite behind a common goal.
"At IOM, we remain fully committed to supporting the government and people of Nigeria in building a migration system that is humane, inclusive and leaves no one behind," she said.
Bernard Doro, minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, restated the federal government's pledge to shield returning migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups from the harms of irregular migration. He said the Tinubu administration's "One Humanitarian, One Poverty Reduction" framework merges emergency aid with long-term poverty reduction under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Doro framed migration as an economic asset when handled properly. "Migration, when properly managed, presents opportunities for national development," he noted.
"We will continue to strengthen institutions, expand livelihood opportunities and ensure returning migrants are empowered to rebuild their lives with dignity," the minister added.
Bengt van Loosdrecht, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, stressed that migration remains fundamentally human in nature. He credited the COMPASS programme's sustained funding with improving Nigeria's migration governance structures and expanding aid for trafficking survivors.
The programme has also helped block more people from falling into the hands of human traffickers and smuggling networks, van Loosdrecht noted.
The anniversary celebration featured messages from Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, and Ayodele Olawande, minister of Youth Development. A documentary screened the programme's successes, beneficiary testimonies were shared, and panellists discussed community-centred methods for promoting safe migration.
