FG, EU In Talks To Expand Lawful Migration Routes For Nigerians

The Federal Government and the European Union are working on a new deal that would open more lawful migration routes for Nigerians seeking to live and work in Europe.

The move was discussed when Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, met the EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, in New York on September 21, 2026.

The meeting held on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, according to a statement on Wednesday by the minister’s media aide, Magnus Eze.

At the centre of the talks was the EU-Nigeria Re-Admission Agreement first initiated in 2016 but yet to be finalised. The agreement, which sets out procedures for taking back nationals with no right to remain in another jurisdiction, also featured prominently at the 8th Nigeria-EU Ministerial Dialogue in March 2026.

Brunner told the minister that concluding the readmission agreement would give both sides a platform for wider migration cooperation.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu, however, insisted that Nigeria wants a balanced package. She said beyond returns, the deal must include support for reintegrating returnees, assistance for infrastructure development, and more structured legal pathways.

She said the priority should be creating lawful mobility opportunities that suit Nigeria’s large youthful population without hurting the country’s development interests.

Responding, the EU delegation said those concerns have been factored into a broader Migration and Security Cooperation Contract now being proposed.

The proposed contract would cover talent partnerships, mobility and legal pathways, reintegration of returnees, border management and operational support from Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.

It would also explore information-sharing with Europol to help Nigeria tackle transnational organised crime.

Brunner said talent partnerships could help Europe address skills shortages while giving Nigerian professionals legitimate opportunities abroad, which could also reduce brain drain pressures.

He added that stronger cooperation against irregular migration would make it easier to expand legal migration windows, and expressed interest in continuing the engagement during a planned visit to Abuja in November 2026.