The key facts

  • The agreement was signed by EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner and Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu
  • According to local media, the EU promised nearly 100 million euros for migration management and security; the European Commission denies the 'transactional' nature of the deal
  • The document requires approval from EU member states and the European Parliament

What was signed and why

A readmission agreement between the European Union and Nigeria was signed in Abuja by EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner and Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu after ten years of negotiations. Nigeria agreed to accept its citizens who have no right to stay in EU countries; the document also provides for the return of EU citizens illegally present in Nigeria. The agreement establishes 'fast and effective procedures' for return — a priority issue for Brussels, since in practice only about a third of illegal migrants who have been ordered to leave the country are actually deported. Under international law, states are obliged to accept their own citizens, but African governments have often resisted returns or dragged out the process.

What Nigeria got: conflicting accounts

The parties describe the terms of the deal differently. According to the local press, including The Sun newspaper, which was cited by the EU delegation in Abuja, the European Commission promised nearly 100 million euros in additional funding for migration management and security cooperation; the statements are attributed to Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General of the department for migration and home affairs. According to these reports, the funds will go towards legal migration pathways for Nigerians to the EU, as well as combating human trafficking and drug trafficking. The European Commission, however, insists that the agreement is not a 'transactional exchange of concessions' but part of a broader mutually beneficial partnership based on mutual trust and shared interests. Brunner, in his statement, limited himself to general words about turning the potential of the partnership into 'mutual benefit'. Nigeria's Foreign Ministry and the EU delegation in Nigeria did not respond to Euronews' inquiries.

Context and what comes next

The EU has already allocated 731 million euros in grants to Nigeria for the 2021–2027 period. Nigerians were the largest group among illegal arrivals in Italy in 2017–2018, but their numbers have declined significantly since then; Eurostat does not publish data on the current number of Nigerians illegally residing in the EU. The bloc currently has 18 readmission agreements, mostly with Asian countries and the Western Balkans; the first agreement with an African state was concluded with Cabo Verde in 2014, while negotiations with Morocco and Tunisia have stalled. The EU is increasingly using non-binding arrangements — for example, with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Ethiopia — or broad strategic partnerships, such as the memoranda with Tunisia and Egypt. The agreement signed with Nigeria still needs to be approved by EU member states and the European Parliament; its detailed terms have not yet been made public.