By Ismail Azeez
Nigeria and Türkiye are strengthening their cooperation on migration management, with both countries focusing on the humane and dignified return and reintegration of undocumented Nigerians willing to return home.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a visit by a delegation from Türkiye’s Presidency of Migration Management to the headquarters of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in Abuja.
Discussions centered on formalizing the process through a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to a press statement released on Wednesday by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NiDCOM’s Director of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols, the Turkish delegation led by Hünkar Burkan İbin, Head of the Deportation Department for Removal Affairs explained that voluntary return remains the preferred option for Nigerians without legal status in Türkiye.
Under the National Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (NAVRR) mechanism, migrants are provided with tailored counseling and support based on their individual needs to aid their reintegration into society.
The delegation reiterated that its engagement with Nigerian authorities aims to promote orderly migration, establish a framework that supports legal migration pathways, and provide opportunities for migrants willing to return voluntarily.
Responding to the delegation, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, welcomed the visitors and pledged the Commission’s full cooperation.
She stated that NiDCOM would intensify awareness efforts to ensure that undocumented Nigerians living irregularly in Türkiye are informed of the voluntary return program and encouraged to take advantage of it.
Dabiri-Erewa noted that Türkiye occupies a unique place in Nigeria’s diaspora engagement efforts, recalling that the first bilateral MoU on diaspora matters Nigeria signed with another country was with Türkiye.
She emphasized that the longstanding relationship between both nations provides a strong platform for enhanced collaboration on migration and diaspora-related issues.
“NiDCOM will serve as one of the bridges to ensure that what is promised to Nigerians by the Turkish government is fulfilled,” she said.
She encouraged undocumented Nigerians in Türkiye to embrace the initiative once it becomes operational, assuring them that NiDCOM would work closely with Turkish authorities to ensure all reintegration support and commitments made under the program are fully delivered to beneficiaries.
The NiDCOM Chairman reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to discouraging irregular migration, warning that migration policies and regulations worldwide are becoming increasingly stringent, making undocumented migration more difficult and risky.
Describing Türkiye as a compassionate country, Dabiri-Erewa expressed confidence that the return process would be conducted humanely.
She highlighted the vibrancy of the Nigerian community in Türkiye, noting that many Nigerians are thriving in business, medicine, and sports, thereby contributing meaningfully to the Turkish economy. She also referenced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s (GCFR) visit to Türkiye as a milestone that further cemented ties between both nations, adding that the President had personally met with Nigerian students during that visit.
“Migration is to leave and seek a better life. But if it is not working, come back home,” Dabiri-Erewa concluded.
Both parties expressed their commitment to ensuring that the welfare and dignity of Nigerians in Türkiye remain at the center of all engagements, with NiDCOM pledging to work closely with relevant Nigerian agencies and ministries to fully implement the outcomes of the visit.