Nigeria and the European Union signed an agreement on November 10, 2026, aimed at speeding up the identification and return of migrants who no longer have the legal right to enter or remain in Nigeria or the EU.
Signed in Abuja, the EU-Nigeria Readmission Agreement sets out how Nigerian and European authorities will cooperate to identify and accept the return of their respective nationals, including those who no longer have valid identity documents.
Nigerian Interior, Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said his country would honor its commitments under the agreement. He also described the deal as a way to improve migration management while protecting the dignity of those being returned.
Nigeria is automating immigration procedures and connecting national identity databases to make it easier to verify the identities of Nigerians facing return. According to Tunji-Ojo, more than 17 billion migration records have already been transferred to an integrated system.
Nearly a Decade of Negotiations
Talks between Nigeria and the EU began in 2016, after the Council of the European Union authorized the European Commission to negotiate a readmission agreement with Abuja. The negotiations took nearly a decade to conclude.
Nigeria and the EU renewed their push for an agreement during ministerial talks in March 2026 and at a meeting on September 21 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The agreement comes as the EU seeks closer cooperation with countries of origin to identify and return migrants who lack legal residence status. Nigeria is among the countries involved in these efforts.
Nigeria and the EU have also cooperated on migration under the Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility, signed in March 2015.
That framework covers the return and reintegration of migrants, efforts to combat migrant smuggling networks, and the development of legal migration opportunities.
The two sides also plan to deepen cooperation on migration and security. European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner identified stronger police cooperation, efforts to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and the development of legal migration pathways as priorities for further collaboration.
The agreement will not take effect immediately. It must first receive the European Parliament’s consent before the Council of the EU can formally conclude it. It will enter into force on the first day of the second month after both parties notify each other that they have completed their respective procedures.
Credit: Ingrid Haffiny
