Nigeria and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation in migration management, justice delivery, and tackling organised crime under a renewed strategic partnership aimed at promoting security and prosperity in both countries.
The reaffirmation followed the 2025 Nigeria–UK Migration, Justice and Home Affairs (MJHA) Dialogue held in Abuja, which was jointly chaired and signed by Ambassador Asari E. Allotey for Nigeria and Ambassador Asim Hafeez for the United Kingdom.
The annual dialogue, which build on the 2024 session hosted in London, produced far-reaching agreements across nine thematic pillars, including migration returns, visa reforms, extradition, prisoner transfer, organised crime, human trafficking, and illicit finance.
Both sides reaffirmed their partnership on the safe and dignified return of individuals with no legal right to remain in each other’s territories, reflecting on progress made under the 2022 Migration Returns Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). They also pledged to strengthen operational collaboration and uphold mutual accountability in migration processes.
The UK delegation provided updates on efforts to streamline visa application processes, including the rollout of e-visas and new initiatives for business visitors. Nigeria, on its part, pledged to share progress on its e-visa development and align mechanisms to facilitate smoother travel and investment between both nations.
In tackling organised immigration crime, the two governments agreed to develop and sign a new MoU and expand officer training to boost investigative capacity. They also endorsed plans for a Nigerian Strategic Serious and Organised Crime Threat Analysis, the first of its kind in West Africa, to enhance intelligence sharing and operational coordination.
The UK also formally handed over its Brighter Futures Prevent Programme to Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Centre, supporting ongoing efforts to steer at-risk youth away from organised crime. Nigeria committed to sustain and expand the initiative beyond 2026.
Both sides made progress on extradition and prisoner transfer agreements, agreeing to streamline processes and align them with the Nigerian Correctional Services Act 2019, while strengthening collaboration on human trafficking, illicit commodities, and financial crimes.
Nigeria and the UK reiterated their shared vision to promote justice, security, and prosperity, promising to track implementation of commitments ahead of the next MJHA Dialogue, which will be hosted by the United Kingdom in 2026.
