Nigeria: '71,000 Stranded Nigerian Migrants Returned Since 2017'

What the report says

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said it has helped facilitate the voluntary return and reintegration of more than 71,000 Nigerian migrants since 2017, according to Daily Trust, which reported on remarks by IOM Nigeria’s Chief of Mission, Sharon Dimanche, in Abuja. The agency marked 25 years of operations in Nigeria and said its work in the country has expanded from emergency support to broader migration governance and development planning.

Dimanche said IOM has also provided direct reintegration support to more than 45,000 returnees. She pointed to the organisation’s nationwide presence across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside cooperation with the government on policies such as the National Migration Policy and the inclusion of migration in climate adaptation planning. The report also noted the use of migration management tools, including MIDAS systems at major transit points, to improve border processes.

The article said IOM is facing tighter global funding at a time when humanitarian needs remain high in Nigeria, which the agency says hosts millions of internally displaced people and returnees. Dimanche called for stronger private-sector participation and more domestic financing to help close the gap.

Looking ahead, IOM said it wants to focus on safer mobility, expanded legal labour pathways, diaspora engagement and climate resilience. In general terms, these priorities reflect wider migration policy debates in Nigeria and across the region, where governments and aid agencies are increasingly linking migration management with economic opportunity and displacement prevention.