From John Silas
Civil Society Network on Migration and Development (CSOnetMADE) Southwest Zone has commended the Federal Government of Nigeria and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) for the successful reception of 258 Nigerian returnees who arrived from Johannesburg, South Africa, on June 11, 2026.
The returnees were received at the Cargo Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, where CSOnetMADE Southwest Zone joined other members of the Reintegration Committee and relevant stakeholders to facilitate a dignified reception process.
The reception exercise brought together several agencies and partners, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Port Health Services, Lagos State Government, MTN Nigeria, and other humanitarian actors.
Despite receiving short notice ahead of the arrival, CSOnetMADE Southwest Zone mobilized volunteers, member organizations, and resources to provide critical humanitarian assistance and emotional support for the returnees.
Speaking on the exercise, CSOnetMADE Lagos State Coordinator, Sw. Abosede Mary Otukpe, MISD, said the organization remained committed to ensuring that migrants returning to Nigeria are welcomed with dignity and provided with the support necessary to rebuild their lives.
According to her, the network coordinated the participation of member organizations and volunteers through collaborative efforts aimed at addressing both the immediate and long-term needs of returnees.
Services provided during the reception included welfare support and refreshments, psychosocial first aid and emotional stabilization services, information dissemination and referrals, communication assistance, internet access, family liaison and reunification coordination, volunteer mobilization, logistics support, and post-arrival follow-up to monitor the safety and well-being of beneficiaries.
Many of the returnees reportedly expressed appreciation for the emotional support, care, and follow-up services provided by CSOnetMADE volunteers and partner organizations.
Otukpe, who is also the Executive Director of Denny Social Welfare Hub (DSWHUB), a licensed social worker, certified humanitarian practitioner, and Cluster Head on Human Trafficking and Migration under the Child Protection Network Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, emphasized that reception activities represent only the first phase of the reintegration process.
“Sustainable reintegration goes beyond physical arrival. It requires psychosocial support, referrals, aftercare services, coordination and continued community support to enable returnees rebuild their lives with dignity,” she stated.
She noted that the South African returnees are only one among several groups of migrants supported through the efforts of civil society organizations and humanitarian partners.
Through Denny Social Welfare Hub, voluntary returnees from Libya, Algeria, Mali, and other African countries have been received and profiled in collaboration with NCFRMI and with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). In addition, forced returnees from various European countries have benefited from psychosocial support, referrals, and aftercare interventions.
The organization stressed the importance of implementing the provisions of the revised National Migration Policy 2025, which advocates a whole-of-government, whole-of-society, and private-sector approach to migration governance.
According to CSOnetMADE, civil society organizations have a crucial role to play in educating communities on migration realities and promoting safe, regular, and informed migration pathways.
“Migration is a reality and everyone has the right to migrate, but it should be safe, orderly and dignified,” Otukpe said.
The network further acknowledged the efforts of all frontline responders and stakeholders involved in the reception exercise and called for improved stakeholder coordination, enhanced pre-arrival briefings, harmonized profiling and information management systems, stronger privacy and protection safeguards for vulnerable returnees, improved orientation on reintegration opportunities, and greater recognition of civil society organizations as key operational partners.
CSOnetMADE also advocated stronger collaboration among government institutions, humanitarian agencies, development partners, private-sector organizations, and local communities to ensure effective reintegration outcomes.
Meanwhile, stakeholders on June 17, 2026, received another group of 26 forced returnees deported from Germany. The group comprised 25 males and one female, including two visually impaired persons and a male returnee who exhibited signs of emotional distress.
During the reception exercise, CSOnetMADE Lagos State and its partners provided psychosocial first aid, refreshments, communication and Wi-Fi services, family tracing assistance, logistics support, temporary accommodation referrals, and referrals for in-kind business support under the Frontex-funded IRARA programme.
The National Identity Management Commission also facilitated National Identification Number (NIN) registration for the returnees as part of efforts to support their reintegration into society.
CSOnetMADE Lagos State currently coordinates member organizations and cluster groups across Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas throughout Lagos State, extending migration awareness campaigns, protection messaging, and reintegration support to grassroots communities.
The organization noted that DSWHUB is a member of the Migration Advisory Network (MAN), established by GIZ and the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC), and remains committed to promoting regular migration pathways and community awareness.
As part of ongoing global advocacy efforts, the organization highlighted the observance of the World Day Against Child Labour in June under the theme, “Red Card to Child Labour,” and the upcoming World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in July with the theme, “Trapped Behind the Scam.”
Otukpe called on governments, communities, families, civil society organizations, and development partners to intensify efforts to protect children, combat human trafficking, and promote safe migration practices.
She reaffirmed CSOnetMADE Southwest Zone’s commitment to advancing rights-based migration governance and strengthening reintegration mechanisms that support migrants and returnees in rebuilding their lives and contributing positively to national development.
