Citizens, individuals, organisations can always hold the government accountable. This among others is one of the roles Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) play.
The Leading CSOs on Migration in Nigeria have addressed the “sidon look syndrome” and facilitated stakeholders coming together under one roof.
You will recall that NACTAL Nigeria President with WOTCLEF Head in his company visited the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs. Kemi Nana Nandap on May 2, 2025 and promised to facilitate the activation of the Border Management Governance.
On Tuesday, August 26 2025, the visit to the Immigration Headquarters yielded positive developments with the meeting of the Border Management Thematic Working Group, which took place at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja.
With the support from the International Organization on Migration (IOM), the Working Group, chaired and co-chaired by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) respectively made a significant progress.
It is an open secret that there is an outcry that Nigerian Borders are open and in order to improve the implementation of the ECOWAS Free Movement and Migration there must be a whole of government and society approach.
While abolished visa requirement for the ECOWAS States is upheld to promote establishment of business, right to reside freely, we must realise that “Borders are more than geographic location, but, to facilitate legitimate trade to foster development and integration”, the representative of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), emphasized.
The Director of Migration of the National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), noted that there is much expected of “Nigeria as the current chair of the European Union Dialogue on Migration as Nigeria plans to play host to 110 countries this year”.
NIS and NAPTIP together gave a nod to synergise for effective border management for regional, political and social stability and economic development.
Present at the meeting were State Actors whose mandates align with Migration namely the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), Border Community Development Agency (BCDA), Nigeria Border Commission (NBC), National Quarantine Service (NAQS), Nigeria Port Health Service (NPHS), Federal Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and more.
NACTAL President, speaking on behalf of the Civil Society Organisations as ombudsman commended the Comptroller General of NIS, the Chief of Mission of IOM Nigeria, the Director General of NAPTIP and the Honourable Federal Commissioner of NCFRMI and promised to “intensify advocacies and engagements”.
The Leaders of NACTAL, CSOnetMADE, CPN and WOTCLEF Head were in attendance to contribute to the conversation, demonstrate their commitments to promoting positive partnership and collaboration for better Migration Governance in Nigeria.
