International Labour Migration and Nigeria’s Engagement with Destination Country Governments

This study investigates Nigeria's bilateral diplomatic engagement with major destination countries for Nigerian labour migrants, examining the legal frameworks, bilateral labour agreements, and consular protection mechanisms available to Nigerians working abroad. Nigerian labour migration spans a broad spectrum from low-skilled workers in the Gulf states to highly educated professionals in Europe and North America. Despite the scale of this migration, Nigeria's bilateral framework for protecting migrant workers' rights and managing labour migration remains underdeveloped compared to major sending countries such as the Philippines. Drawing on the theory of migration diplomacy and international labour standards, this research analyses Nigeria's negotiation of bilateral labour agreements with selected destination countries including the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Italy from 2019 to 2024. The study employs a qualitative methodology, relying on document analysis of bilateral agreements, National Assembly committee reports, ILO documentation, and semi-structured interviews with officials at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. The research is contextualised within the growing trend of Nigerian skilled migration following economic pressures widely described as the Japa phenomenon. Findings are expected to reveal significant protection gaps and weak enforcement of existing bilateral arrangements. Recommendations are directed at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Labour. Keywords: labour migration, migration diplomacy, Nigeria, bilateral agreements, Japa.