Nigeria and other ECOWAS member states have adopted the Freetown Declaration to strengthen regional migration cooperation, harmonise border management and make it easier for people to move across West Africa.

The agreement was reached at the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA) Heads of Immigration Forum, held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from 3 to 4 November. The forum brought together heads of immigration services from 12 ECOWAS member states, alongside the ECOWAS Commission and the International Organization for Migration.

Implementation of the declaration's resolutions is targeted for 1 January 2027. The forum was held under the theme "From Policy to Practice: Deepening Regional Integration through Harmonised Migration and Border Management in ECOWAS".

Biometric identity card at the centre

The meeting examined how to put the ECOWAS free movement and trade protocols into practice, in particular through integrated border management and the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card. Participants stressed the need for uniform recognition of the card across the region and greater engagement with transport operators so it is accepted as a travel document.

Kemi Nana-Nandap, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, reaffirmed Nigeria's commitment to regional integration and effective border management in line with the ECOWAS free movement protocols. She highlighted Nigeria's progress in rolling out the biometric identity card through its locally developed Border Control and Immigration Management System.

Participants said the aim was to balance legitimate migration with border security, committing to stronger regional cooperation through the declaration.