Switzerland - Nigeria

Switzerland
Federal Department of Justice and Police
State Secretariat for Migration
Federal Police
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs 
Human Security Division
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Sub-Saharan Africa and Francophonie Division

Nigeria
Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development
National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs (NCFRMI)
National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)
Federal Ministry of Interior
Nigeria Immigration Service
Federal Ministry of Justice
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency

TV Series: The Missing Steps
Brochure PDF: 10 Years Migration Partnership Nigeria - Switzerland

What is the significance of the migration partnership for the bilateral relations between Switzerland and Nigeria in general?

The Migration Partnership is a cornerstone of our bilateral relations. Ten years of productive collaboration on equal terms and in the interest of both countries, as well as of the migrants, greatly contributed to strengthening mutual trust and understanding. In this sense, the consistent and comprehensive cooperation in the field of migration positively affects all other areas of our bilateral relations and is thus a true partnership.

Why is the bilateral migration dialogue integrated into the so-called Switzerland-Nigeria Days since 2016?

The Switzerland-Nigeria Days combine the three bilateral dialogues on migration and human rights as well as the political consultations, which cover a wide range of topics. In the spirit of Agenda 2030 this format underlines our common interest in a holistic approach which creates synergies between different areas of cooperation. Our cooperation on migration should also take into account areas such as business, employment, education and human rights to be effective and sustainable.

Finally, how do you assess Switzerland’s relations with Nigeria?

Nigeria is a very important political and economic player on the continent. We are proud of the excellent and diverse relationship we have with Nigeria. Apart from migration, our bilateral collaboration covers areas such as trade, asset recovery, humanitarian aid, human rights and peace promotion. The quality of our relationship is also reflected by regular high-level visits and success stories like the restitution of over USD 1 billion of stolen assets benefiting the poorest and most vulnerable people in Nigeria. I’m convinced that we will continue to strengthen those bonds of friendship in the coming years.

As the biggest economy in Africa, Nigeria is also an important trading partner for Switzerland on the continent with numerous Swiss companies established in Nigeria across various sectors. With the opening of the General Consulate in Lagos as trade point with a specific mandate to promote trade and investments, and the establishment of the Swiss-Nigerian Business Council, Switzerland has expanded its economic presence in Nigeria in recent years.

Livia Leu
State Secretary
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland 

What role do migration partnerships play in Nigeria’s foreign policy?

Nigeria has concluded migration partnership agreements with many European countries and a Partnership on Migration and Mobility with the European Union. While many of these migration partnerships have not actually met our collective expectations, the partnership with Switzerland has become a symbol or a model that Nigeria uses to negotiate with other countries. Nigeria views these partnerships as part of its foreign policy because these bilateral and multilateral efforts enhance collaboration, cooperation and shared experiences, which together create a better world. Our partnership with Switzerland is a source of pride to the country and all the government agencies that have participated in the projects have expressed satisfaction with the progress so far. Trust has grown and this assures us that this partnership is very important for achieving Nigeria’s foreign policy goals.

What are the main reasons that Nigeria chose to conclude migration partnerships with other countries?

With a population of over 200 million and an estimated 15 million Nigerians living abroad, it makes sense for Nigeria to collaborate with multiple countries on matters concerning its diaspora. It is also very important for Nigeria to devise ways of utilising the value of the diaspora, whose remittances exceed USD 20 billion every year. Besides the regular migrants, there is also the issue of irregular migrants, who need protection, assistance and guidance. Migration partnerships provide a means of formally helping and supporting this group of Nigerians.

What is your assessment of the migration partnership with Switzerland and what are your expectations for the future?

The implementation of the Migration Partnership with Switzerland has been very successful and it now serves as a model for Nigeria’s cooperation with other countries. The engagements among all the stakeholders on both sides have been cordial, and this has facilitated the successful implementation of many projects within the partnership.

Due to this success, it is difficult to project what our expectations for the future would be. However, Nigeria may wish to see more avenues for regular migration pathways being created, because we believe that this would have an impact on irregular migration in the long term.

H. E. Gabriel Aduda
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria  

This year’s celebrations around the tenth anniversary of the Nigerian Swiss Migration Partnership are not only a reflection of our excellent cooperation in the field of migration, but also of the promising state of our bilateral relations overall.

Besides sharing a number of common features such as a federal political system or linguistic and religious diversity, Nigeria and Switzerland also share many common interests including joint trade, security, peace and development as well as the prevention of corruption, trafficking in persons and irregular migration.

Looking at our many achievements over the past ten years as well as the high level of respect, trust and friendship between our two countries, I am convinced that we will continue to deepen and expand our partnership in ways that will truly benefit both the Nigerian and the Swiss people.

Georg Steiner
Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Niger, Libya and Chad Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The strategic Migration Partnership between Nigeria and Switzerland over the years has been classified as a role model partnership. It has facilitated tremendous knowledge transfer, mutuality and cooperation. The key element that has made the partnership a testimony of success is not necessarily the content of the agreement but rather largely the commitment in applying the provision of the agreement with mutual respect as well as putting into context the priorities of each country.

Since the partnership was reached in 2011, it has ensured humane and dignified return of irregular migrants from Switzerland with benefits attached to facilitate their reintegration. Above all, it has provided a number of laudable projects and programs aimed at facilitating mechanism to effectively integrate migration into development while ensuring safe, regular and orderly migration.

Leveraging on the gains of this partnership in all aspect of migration management, the government of Nigeria pledges to remain committed to the cooperation with Switzerland while ensuring improvement where there are gaps.

Sadiya Umar Farouq
Honourable Minister
Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster
Management and Social Development, Nigeria

The Migration Partnership between Nigeria and Switzerland is an ideal example of how bilateral relations can be used to address common challenges in a positive and dynamic way. For the past ten years, we have strengthened our cooperation by sharing expertise and best practices in implementing migration management mechanisms, fighting human trafficking, preventing irregular migration, facilitating return and reintegration, and enabling sustainable labour migration. These exchanges have also allowed both our countries to appreciate the opportunities migration can present and have helped us to better understand its challenges.

Over the past decade, we have consistently developed our Migration Partnership into concrete action and projects. We have held many fruitful meetings and conducted numerous valuable projects; it is in our interest to build on these achievements when shaping our future cooperation. Switzerland is determined to continuously foster the dialogue within the framework of the Migration Partnership and remains a close partner to Nigeria and the Nigerian people.

Karin Keller-Sutter
Federal Councillor
Head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police, Switzerland

The 14th of February 2011 marked the beginning of the Migration Partnership between Nigeria and Switzerland. On that day, Swiss Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the then Nigerian Foreign Minister Odein Henry Ajumogobia in Abuja, formalising relations on migration matters. However, cooperation between the two countries on migration dates back to the late 1990s, when a large number of Nigerian citizens arrived in Switzerland to seek asylum. As most of these migrants were not permitted to remain in Switzerland, the issue of their return and reintegration became increasingly important. This led for the first time to formal cooperation in the field of migration: in 2003 a readmission agreement was signed by Nigeria and Switzerland to facilitate return procedures. To support the increasing number of returnees, the then Swiss Federal Office for Migration developed a return and reintegration programme, coordinated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and its Nigerian counterparts. That programme aimed to assist Nigerian returnees through tailor-made reintegration projects and to support them in setting up their own businesses or pursuing their studies. From 2005 to 2016, more than a thousand Nigerian returnees received reintegration support in various cities in Nigeria.

However, both countries recognised the need to expand their cooperation in order to broaden their joint approach to migration-related matters and to address the complexities of migration issues; they did this by establishing a multi-faceted Migration Partnership. The signature of the Memorandum of Understanding in 2011 allowed both sides to address a myriad of issues, including the fight against the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons, return and reintegration, migration and development, promotion and protection of human rights, border management, prevention of irregular migration, and the promotion of regular migration. Further important components in the Migration Partnership are capacity building and exchanges of best practices between the two countries. Since the establishment of their migration partnership, Nigeria and Switzerland have held ten Joint Technical Committee (JTC) meetings, which have taken place alternately in Abuja and in Bern. These regular meetings are an important element in this effective partnership, as they provide an opportunity to discuss areas of cooperation and new project ideas.

While the JTC meetings are key to taking stock of activities that have been carried out and to developing new fields of cooperation, diplomatic and direct contact between central authorities and the Nigerian Embassy in Bern and the Swiss Embassy in Abuja is equally important. In 2012, Switzerland decided to send an Immigration Liaison Officer to its Embassy in Abuja to further the dialogue on migration issues and emphasise the benefits of direct exchange. This position has been crucial in strengthening bilateral relations and implementing projects.

Apart from the annual JTC meetings, Nigeria and Switzerland have regularly held political consultations and human rights dialogues. As these meetings, consultations and dialogues often address the same issues, Nigeria and Switzerland decided to organise them in a coordinated manner. In March 2016, Nigeria and Switzerland signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the “Switzerland Nigeria Days” forum. During the Switzerland Nigeria Days, political consultations and a dialogue on human rights are held in parallel with the JTC meeting. The holistic approach of the Switzerland Nigeria Days has been hailed a success in advancing bilateral relations between the two countries.