National Assessment of Labour Migration Policies, Legislation, Practices, and Structures in Nigeria

Nigeria, with over 140 million inhabitants, is a country of origin, transit, and destination for diverse migratory configurations, both internal and international – seasonal labour migration, undocumented or irregular migration, internal displacements, human trafficking, female migration, and migration of skilled professionals. There is a general lack of current information on demographic dynamics in the country, however, particularly concerning data on both stocks and flows of migrants within and outside the country. 

In this context, this report covers data collection and analysis, which looks at data sources on international migration and intraregional migration, with emphases on Nigerian migrants and migrant workers. There is an overview of recruitment and support services, as well as policy formulation and challenges.  International structures and inter-institutional collaboration are discussed based on an in-depth evaluation of the institutional structures in Nigeria. In addition, a background of migrants’ remittances and forms of remittances are analysed, taking into consideration remittance flows and uses, as well as the policy measures necessary to enhance the impact of remittances. 

Moreover, the report covers the current national legislation and international norms regarding labour migration and the bilateral agreements existing between Nigeria and other African countries. In conclusion, recommendations have been provided on all the relevant issues contained in the report pertaining to data collection, recruitment and support services, institutional structures and inter-institutional collaboration, migrants’ remittances, and national legislation and international norms in order to formulate a comprehensive action plan detailing the way forward for labour migration management in Nigeria.