Sounding the Alarm: Soaring Emigration Rates of Nigerians, Primarily Skilled Workforce, Raises Concerns Among Government Officials
Over 1.4 million Nigerian citizens have reportedly departed the country, according to the Federal Government's statement.
According to our sources, the Ministry of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, under the leadership of Tanko Sununu, has brought attention to the alarming rate of Nigerians leaving the country, with an estimated 1.4 million citizens emigrating.
Sununu addressed this issue during the validation of the 2025 policy and its Integrated Implementation Plan in Abuja on Tuesday. The Minister discussed the government's plans to reverse this trend via the National Migration Policy.
The National Migration Policy is designed to make migration more advantageous for the country, both in terms of knowledge, economy, and health. However, Sununu emphasized the significance of good governance in countering the brain drain affecting the country.
He stated: "The situation we find ourselves in today is that over 1.4 million Nigerians have emigrated outside, and a considerable number of them are highly skilled.
"Fifty-one percent of the migrants that leave Nigeria have knowledge of tertiary level education and most of them are also health workers. This is causing a brain drain in Nigeria.
"With the right policies in place and the right information, the issue of brain drain can be addressed, and we would, in turn, improve our skills, improve and promote brain circulation within the country.
"The revised National Migration Policy seeks to strengthen institutional coherence, mainstream international best practices, and reinforce national ownership of migration governance.
"The policy would make migration more beneficial to Nigerians, improve the rights of migrants, and also derive much benefit to Nigeria in terms of knowledge, economy, health, and others.
"The policy has been designed in such a way that it provides a lot of knowledge. With the knowledge embedded in the policy, Nigerians would know the dangers of irregular migration.
"We also have to get the commitment of security agents and work with them because the issue of irregular migration is connected with insecurity witnessed in some parts of the country."
Further Insights
The National Migration Policy 2025 in Nigeria aims to tackle brain drain and migration challenges through a strategic approach:
Targeted Solutions:
- Retention of skilled professionals: Incentives such as rural service rewards and international opportunities post-service for health workers are on the table[5].
- Border security: Strengthening irregular migration control to mitigate the link between unchecked migration and national security risks[3][4].
Policy Upgrades:
- Coherence: Harmonizing migration governance across agencies for consistency[3][4].
- International best practices: Incorporating industry-leading strategies to improve the policy[3][4].
Proactive Measures:
- Domestic retention: Career incentives and skills transfer programs to encourage health workers to stay in Nigeria[5].
- Diaspora collaboration: Collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission for emigrant profiling and knowledge sharing[5].
- International partnerships: Partnering with destination countries to manage migration flows and establish mutually beneficial agreements[5].
- Awareness campaigns: Educating citizens on safe migration practices and informing them about the risks of irregular migration[4][5].
Implementation Strategy:
- Security partnerships: Joint efforts with law enforcement to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling[4].
- Migrant-centric approach: Prioritizing migrant rights while maximizing economic and knowledge benefits for Nigeria[3][4].
- Data-driven policies: Utilizing migration statistics to inform policy adjustments[3][4].
Projected Outcomes:
- Decreased irregular migration: Stricter border controls and regularization initiatives for expatriates[1][4].
- Maximized remittance impact: Formalizing diaspora contributions to national development[5].
- Stable healthcare workforce: Retention-agreement models with destination countries for healthcare professionals[5].
- The Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Tanko Sununu, spoke about the soaring emigration rates of Nigerians, particularly skilled workers, during the validation of the 2025 National Migration Policy in Abuja.
- Sununu emphasized the importance of good governance in countering the brain drain in Nigeria, stating that over 1.4 million Nigerians have emigrated and that 51% of them have knowledge of tertiary-level education.
- The National Migration Policy is designed to make migration more advantageous for the country in terms of knowledge, economy, and health. The policy aims to strengthen institutional coherence, mainstream international best practices, and reinforce national ownership of migration governance.
- To tackle brain drain and migration challenges, the policy includes targeted solutions such as retaining skilled professionals through incentives like rural service rewards and international opportunities, and strengthening border security.
- Proactive measures in the policy include domestic retention through career incentives and skills transfer programs, collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, international partnerships, and awareness campaigns about safe migration practices.
- The implementation strategy prioritizes migrant rights while maximizing economic and knowledge benefits for Nigeria, and utilizes data-driven policies informed by migration statistics.
- Projected outcomes of the National Migration Policy include decreased irregular migration, maximized impact of diaspora contributions to national development, and a stable healthcare workforce.
- The policy has been designed to provide a lot of knowledge, with the aim of educating citizens about the dangers of irregular migration.
- The Minister urged for the commitment of security agents and collaboration with them, as the issue of irregular migration is connected with the insecurity witnessed in some parts of the country.
