Migration Profile on Nigeria - IOM Publications - International ...

persons in Nigeria and, in 2009, under a presidential directive, it became the
focal agency for the migration and resettlement of internally displaced persons.
The Commission is currently amending the law to reflect its new role and has
already begun to work with relevant stakeholders to agree on the way forward
for migration management in Nigeria.
The NCFR will be responsible for revising and, in close collaboration with
the other institutions referred to below, implementing the draft national policy
on migration once it has been approved by the Federal Parliament.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which assumed its current name in 1991,
started life in 1957 as the External Division of the Office of the Prime Minister.
Among its functions relevant to migration matters are the following:
- consular matters, including protecting the interests of Nigerians abroad;
- pilgrimage arrangements;
- repatriation of destitute Nigerians;
- issuance of passports, travel certificates and seafarers’ identity cards in
missions abroad;
- preparation and conclusion of bilateral agreements, joint commissions, and
so on, with foreign countries;
- Nigerian markets and tourism potential.
Ministry of Internal Affairs
By its statutory mandate, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has the major
responsibility of ensuring and maintaining the internal security of the nation.
It therefore has statutory responsibility for, among others, the formulation and
implementation of policies and programmes on the following: the registration
of voluntary organizations; the issuance of expatriate quota allocations; the
granting of Nigerian citizenship; immigration and visas; seafarers’ identity cards/
certificates; passports and travel documents; permits for foreign participation
in business; the movement of aliens within the country; and the repatriation of
aliens.
Nigeria Immigration Service
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is one of the agencies of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs, which deals with the social welfare of the populace,
74 <strong>Migration</strong> in Nigeria: A Country <strong>Profile</strong> 2009