Nigeria to tackle illegal migration, trafficking

Eight thousand migrants were reported dead or missing worldwide in 2025, bringing the total since 2014 to more than 82,000, according to new data released by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday.

At least around 340,000 family members are estimated to have been directly affected.

Meanwhile, ‎Nigeria has intensified efforts to overhaul its immigration and border management systems through sweeping digital reforms aimed at strengthening national security and enhancing its appeal to global investors.

Despite declines in arrivals in some regions, the data show migration routes are shifting rather than easing, with risks remaining high along increasingly dangerous journeys.

The findings draw on IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Global Overview of Migration Routes and new analysis from the Missing Migrants Project.

DTM tracks movements, changing routes and conditions along migration corridors through direct field monitoring and governmental data sources, while MMP documents migrant deaths and disappearances using official records, media reports and information from IOM missions worldwide.

Together, the reports show how drivers at origin and policy changes along the routes are reshaping migration journeys, while the human cost of unsafe migration continues to rise.

“Routes are shifting in response to conflict, climate pressures and policy changes, but the risks are still very real,” IOM Director-General, Amy Pop, stated. “Behind these numbers are people taking dangerous journeys and families left waiting for news that may never come. Data is critical to understanding these routes and designing interventions that can reduce risks, save lives and promote safer migration pathways.”

PERMANENT Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani, said “the country’s strategic priority is to safeguard its territorial integrity while maintaining its leadership role in Africa”, noting that Nigeria’s security landscape “is increasingly shaped” by illegal migration, human trafficking and cyber-enabled crimes.

This was disclosed at the International Roundtable on Policy and Governance Reforms, themed ‘Policy and Governance Reforms in Nigeria’s Immigration and Border Management Sector,’ organised by the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Lagos yesterday.

According to her, agencies under the ministry, including the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), are being repositioned to strengthen surveillance and improve operational efficiency.
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Ajani disclosed that the e-border security project had covered over 1,00p kilometres in its first phase, while the second phase had been approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). She added that advanced tools such as biometric identity systems, IT-enabled border analytics, and integrated passenger information platforms were being deployed to profile travellers before arrival and enhance real-time monitoring.

‎Representing the Comptroller-General, NIS, Kemi Nandap, Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG), Mohammed Adamu, noted that digital tools had reduced visa processing time from 72 hours to about 10 hours, while surveillance systems and real-time monitoring were strengthening efforts to combat transnational crimes and human trafficking.