The EU official also disclosed that about 260,000 Nigerians were legally resident across EU member states, underscoring the need to expand safe and regular migration opportunities.
By Mmesoma Onwuka
365Daily – Nigeria and the European Union (EU) have concluded negotiations on a readmission agreement designed to improve cooperation on migration management, particularly the return of Nigerians who do not have legal authorisation to remain in EU member states.
The development was announced on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, during a meeting between the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Mr. Magnus Brunner, alongside members of his delegation.
It preceded the formal signing of the agreement, bringing to an end negotiations that had spanned approximately ten years.
Tunji-Ojo said the agreement would establish a framework for handling readmission in a more organised and dignified manner, while strengthening relations between Nigeria and the EU.
He maintained that the Federal Government was committed to implementing its provisions, adding that Nigeria would not support irregular migration or actions that undermine trust between partner countries.
The minister argued that mutual confidence must be strengthened before further discussions on easing migration procedures could yield meaningful results. He said improved cooperation would also create better opportunities for Nigerians seeking to migrate through lawful channels.
He further outlined the government’s ongoing efforts to upgrade migration and border management through automation and the integration of national identity databases. According to him, the system would help authorities establish the nationality of individuals returned to Nigeria more efficiently.
Explaining how the readmission process would work, the minister identified three groups of people who could be covered. Nigerians holding valid travel documents, those who travelled with documents but later lost or destroyed them, and individuals who travelled without identification papers. He said the government was developing mechanisms to verify their identities using existing national records.
He also disclosed that more than 17 billion migration records had already been transferred to Nigeria’s integrated system as part of efforts to automate migration processes. He added that similar arrangements were underway with the United Kingdom, while discussions were ongoing with the United States on adopting the system.
On security, Tunji Ojo called for stronger international cooperation and timely intelligence sharing to address human trafficking, migrant smuggling and other transnational crimes. He said such challenges required coordinated responses rather than isolated efforts by individual countries.
He also highlighted reforms in the correctional system, disclosing that the number of repeat offenders had dropped from about 13,000 in 2023 to approximately 1,600 in the previous year.
In his response, EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner welcomed the conclusion of the negotiations, describing it as an important development that could open the door to broader cooperation between both sides.
Brunner acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts to modernise its border security system and expressed the EU’s willingness to strengthen engagement through its border management agency. He identified police cooperation, the campaign against human trafficking and migrant smuggling and the development of legal migration channels as areas for further collaboration.
The EU official also disclosed that about 260,000 Nigerians were legally resident across EU member states, underscoring the need to expand safe and regular migration opportunities.
Another member of the delegation, Jonannes Lucher, acknowledged the difficulties encountered during the negotiations, noting that Nigeria had pushed for the inclusion of additional areas such as anti trafficking measures, efforts against drug trafficking and legal migration pathways.
He explained that although these issues were not incorporated into the concluded agreement, discussions on them would begin following its finalisation. Lucher also disclosed that the EU had provided nearly €100 million in additional funding to support wider cooperation, with engagements involving Nigerian migration and security officials expected to follow.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to improving bilateral relations, strengthening mutual trust and working together on practical responses to migration and security concerns.