The United Kingdom and Nigeria have agreed new measures to tackle visa fraud, organised immigration crime, cyber-enabled fraud and drug trafficking, following commitments made during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Britain in March.
The agreements were reached at the annual UK-Nigeria Migration, Justice and Home Affairs Dialogue held in London on October 6, and set out in a joint statement issued on Tuesday, October 20.
Senior officials of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UK Home Office jointly chaired the dialogue, which also covered improved document verification and border management, extradition, asset recovery, prisoner transfer, and the safe and dignified return and reintegration of migrants.
Both countries agreed to support the development of Nigerian visa pathways for businesses seeking to invest in Nigeria, alongside joint monitoring of progress on the agreed measures. Nigeria is scheduled to host the next annual dialogue in 2027.
The scope of cooperation reflects the scale of legitimate travel between the two countries. Nigeria is the third-largest source of UK student visas globally and the fifth-largest source of work visas, according to the British government.
British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Vicky Seymour, said the agreement followed commitments made during the state visit, and that the two governments were working to protect legitimate travellers, hold those who abuse immigration systems accountable and improve security in both countries.
Nigeria’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Dunoma Umar Ahmed, said cooperation on migration must extend beyond enforcement to credible pathways for legitimate migrants. He described migration as one of the most important and visible aspects of the UK-Nigeria relationship.
The agreements translate state-visit commitments into cooperation areas only; both governments have committed to monitor implementation, and no operational measures or timelines beyond the 2027 hosting turn have been announced.
Sources: Arise News, TVC News, Tribune, The Sun Nigeria
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