Nigeria currently has about 840,290 foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas, according to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
The figure, disclosed during a television interview, was generated from Nigeria’s recently upgraded immigration monitoring system.
Tunji-Ojo explained that visa overstaying is a global issue, but acknowledged that the scale of the problem within Nigeria highlights serious immigration management challenges.
He also addressed concerns surrounding Nigeria’s migration cooperation agreement with the United Kingdom, insisting that the arrangement does not allow foreign prisoners or asylum seekers to be deported into Nigeria.
According to him, the deal merely provides a framework for safe and orderly migration based on reciprocity.
However, analysts argue that the revelation of such a large number of visa overstayers raises uncomfortable questions about Nigeria’s border management systems and enforcement capacity.
In a country already grappling with security challenges, weak immigration monitoring could further complicate efforts to track foreign nationals and prevent criminal infiltration.
While the government insists reforms are underway, many observers believe the disclosure exposes deeper structural weaknesses within Nigeria’s immigration enforcement architecture.
