National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in collaboration with key United Nations agencies, has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s migration governance framework.

It also renewed its focus on enforcing existing legal instruments and embedding human rights at the core of migration policies.

This formed the thrust of discussions at a two-day training held in Keffi, Nasarawa State, which commenced yesterday, aimed at shifting migration management from a predominantly border-control approach to one anchored on human dignity and rights-based principles.

The training, organised by the NHRC in partnership with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) under the PROMIS Project, seeks to enhance national and regional responses to migrant smuggling and human trafficking through a human rights-based and gender-sensitive approach.

In her opening remarks, Senior Human Rights Adviser at the Office of the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, Adwoa Kufuor-Owusu, represented by Esther Michael Sawa, stressed that migration must be understood beyond policy and security frameworks.

She warned that the lack of safe and regular migration pathways had continued to expose migrants to serious risks, including exploitation, trafficking, discrimination, arbitrary detention, and limited access to essential services.

The Keffi training follows a March 25 meeting of the National Working Group on Human Rights and Migration (NWG-HRM) in Abuja, where stakeholders emphasised the need for stronger inter-agency coordination, consistent representation, and sustained capacity building.

Kufuor-Owusu explained that the training was designed to deliver practical outcomes, including strengthening coordination mechanisms, finalising and operationalising the Working Group’s action plan, and equipping participants with tools to apply Human Rights-Based Approaches (HRBA) in migration governance.

Delivering the welcome address on behalf of the NHRC Executive Secretary, Dr. Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, the Director, Vulnerable Group Department, Dahiru Bobbo, underscored the urgency of mainstreaming human rights into Nigeria’s migration policies and ensuring strict adherence to existing legal frameworks by relevant agencies.