The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), through its Migration Directorate, has commenced a nationwide sensitization campaign targeting members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), aimed at curbing the increasing threat of irregular migration and migrant smuggling among Nigerian youths.
The campaign, which is already being rolled out across various NYSC orientation camps nationwide, is designed to educate corps members on the dangers and consequences of migrant smuggling—a transnational crime that often exposes victims to exploitation, abuse, and in extreme cases, death.
Speaking during one of the sessions, officials of the Migration Directorate emphasized that the initiative is part of a broader national strategy to promote safe, orderly, and regular migration while discouraging young Nigerians from falling prey to deceptive networks that promise quick routes abroad.
According to the Service, the sensitization is not only preventive but also proactive, equipping young Nigerians with accurate information, legal alternatives for travel, and practical tools to resist being lured into irregular migration routes. It also aims to strengthen national efforts in tackling transnational crimes, especially those linked to human trafficking and organized smuggling syndicates.
The Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, has reiterated that the NIS is committed to deepening public awareness on migration-related issues. “We are engaging the NYSC because corps members represent the educated youth population who can be agents of change within their communities,” she stated. “By empowering them with this knowledge, we are building a frontline of informed Nigerians who can resist and report migrant smuggling and related crimes.”
The campaign also aligns with Nigeria’s obligations under international frameworks such as the United Nations Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, and supports ongoing collaboration with partners like the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which has been working with Nigerian authorities on capacity building and return-and-reintegration programmes.
The NYSC, in its response, welcomed the initiative as timely and necessary, given recent reports of Nigerian youths falling victim to fake travel agents and human trafficking cartels. The Corps has assured full cooperation with the NIS in ensuring that corps members nationwide benefit from the awareness campaign.
As irregular migration continues to pose socio-economic and security challenges in Nigeria, the sensitization programme by the Nigeria Immigration Service marks a critical step in confronting the issue through education, advocacy, and the active engagement of young Nigerians.
