Experts in the field of migration in Nigeria have called on the federal government to urgently develop and implement comprehensive National Migration Policy that aligns with international frameworks and best practices.
They particularly urged authorities to do so so as to align with the United Nations’ SDG Goal 10, which focuses on reduced inequalities and Goal 8, which stands for decent work and economic growth.
These form part of the communique issued at the end of the 2025 International Conference on Migration and Sustainable Development: Problems & Prospects, held between February 11 - 12, 2025 at the NOUN Headquarters in Abuja.
The 2-day conference was organised by the university’s Centre of Excellence in Migration and Global Studies, which featured a total of 21 sessions, including three plenary sessions, two poster sessions and 16 parallel sessions.
Signed by the Chair, Local Organising Committee, Prof. Gloria Anetor and the Chair, Communique Committee, Dr. Uguru Ibor, the communique also called for diaspora engagement policies geared toward leveraging the expertise and financial contributions of Nigeria diaspora for national development.
Government was urged to invest in education vocational training and entrepreneurship programmes to create sustainable employment opportunities for youths.
The conference recommended that Nigeria should engage in stronger bilateral agreements to protect the rights and welfare of its migrants abroad, stressing that there should also be public awareness campaigns via strategic communication programmes on the dangers of irregular migration and benefits of legal migration pathways.
There were certain major observations from the keynote address, lead papers and discussions during the conference, which centred on demographic dividend, migration as an opportunity not a threat, economic growth and remittances and human capital development, among others.
Such observations equally looked at the gloomy aspects of migration such as the irregular migration and brain drain, security concerns, unemployment and social strain, inadequate policy framework and exploitation and abuse, among others.
The communique stated that this year’s conference had successfully fostered dialogue and provided actionable policy recommendations for managing migration as a catalyst for national development.
It added that the conference had also highlighted that while migration presents certain challenges, it also offers significant opportunities for economic growth, knowledge transfer and international collaboration.
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