Senior officials from the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Kingdom Home Office co-chaired the annual Migration, Justice and Home Affairs dialogue on 10 May 2023 in Abuja. The talks reinforced the steadfast relationship between the UK and Nigeria and commitments were made across a range of important areas.

The excellent cooperation between the two countries on migration, justice and home affairs was acknowledged. In particular, both parties underscored the need for improvement on information-sharing between our respective governments and high commissions, strengthening the health workforce in Nigeria and returning nationals with no right to remain in each other’s territories – facilitated by the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding on Migration Partnership. Both parties committed to explore a deeper migration relationship and data-sharing agreement via technical working groups, to be set up by each party, jointly working together.

On serious and organised crime, Nigeria and the United Kingdom expressed their mutual gratitude for ongoing work to prevent vulnerable young people from becoming part of organised crime gangs, intercepting and disrupting the trafficking of people and illicit commodities and continuing to work together to combat illicit financial flows. The countries agreed to regular review meetings, increased information-sharing regarding the efficacy of ongoing programmes and a review of asset-return arrangements.

Nigeria and the United Kingdom’s joint work on these issues demonstrate our shared desire to tackle crime and insecurity head on and the depth of the relationship between the two countries. Both countries committed to a working-level meeting to review progress against the commitments made ahead of the next annual talks and regular engagement between the Nigerian High Commission and the UK Home Office in London.

The next Migration, Justice and Home Affairs talks, hosted by the UK, will take place in the first quarter of 2024 and will involve input and attendance from all relevant ministries, departments and agencies from Nigeria and the United Kingdom.