The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has pledged the Federal Government’s support for deeper collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to promote safe migration, combat human trafficking and strengthen emergency evacuation and response mechanisms through Nigeria’s aviation sector.
According to the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood who made this known in a press release, Keyamo made the commitment on Thursday in Abuja when he received the IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Sharon Dimanche, who led a delegation of senior officials to his office.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the IOM, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and key stakeholders in the aviation industry on migration management and the protection of vulnerable passengers.
Dimanche said the transformation taking place in Nigeria’s aviation sector under Keyamo provided an opportunity for stronger institutional collaboration between the IOM, the Ministry and other industry stakeholders.
She noted that the IOM was particularly interested in exploring how the aviation sector could contribute to safer and more orderly migration, noting Nigeria’s position as a country of origin, transit and destination for migrants.
According to her, although attention is often focused on irregular migration routes, many migrants also travel through regular channels, including air transport, without adequate knowledge of their destinations or the conditions they may encounter.
She expressed concern that vulnerable migrants, particularly those from rural communities and people with limited knowledge of migration processes, could become victims of human trafficking and exploitation.
Dimanche therefore called for closer cooperation between the IOM, the Ministry, airlines and the Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON) to strengthen the identification and protection of vulnerable migrants and prevent trafficking through the aviation system.
She identified three priority areas for collaboration: combating human trafficking and protecting vulnerable air travellers; improving coordination on emergency response and evacuation operations; and developing broader institutional partnerships to promote safer and more humane migration management.
“Beyond that, my work is to support our member states. I am here to ask: what are your priorities? Where do you see IOM? How can we best support what you think will help you?” Dimanche said.
Responding, Keyamo described migration as a multimodal phenomenon involving different means of transportation, including land and air.
He said although aviation was only one component of the wider migration system, it remained a strategic channel for the movement of people and therefore required effective cooperation among migration, security and aviation institutions.
“For us, it is simply to cooperate. That is our duty , to cooperate and ensure that your objectives and goals are achieved. We are prepared to mobilise the entire aviation ecosystem in your support,” the minister said.
Keyamo specifically proposed linking the IOM with AON to enable the organisation to engage directly with airline operators on issues concerning safe migration and the protection of vulnerable passengers.
He also assured the delegation that the Ministry would work with relevant regulatory authorities on any requirements relating to passenger documentation and other safeguards deemed necessary to strengthen migration management.
The minister noted that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had a regulatory responsibility to work with airlines to implement measures that would enhance passenger safety and prevent the misuse of the aviation system for trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
As an immediate step, Keyamo directed one of his Special Assistants to liaise with the IOM and facilitate a meeting with the Director-General of the NCAA.
The meeting is expected to bring together the NCAA, IOM and representatives of airlines to further examine areas of cooperation and develop practical measures for safer migration and emergency response.
The engagement marks the beginning of a more structured collaboration among the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, IOM, NCAA and Nigerian airline operators on migration management and the protection of vulnerable passengers.
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