The United Kingdom and Nigeria have signed a three-year strategic agreement to increase jail terms for immigration-related offences and strengthen efforts to curb visa fraud and organised immigration crime.
This is according to a joint statement signed in London on March 18, 2026, by the UK Home Secretary, Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood, and Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
The agreement builds on the existing UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership signed in 2024 and is aimed at deepening cooperation on migration, justice, and home affairs.
According to the statement, both countries committed to tightening laws and enforcement mechanisms to curb immigration-related crimes.
As part of the three-year plan, both countries will immediately operationalise the joint UK-Nigeria Organised Immigration Crime Unit through the signing of cooperation agreements and additional data-sharing arrangements.
Both countries will develop a standard verification system to enable faster checks of documents used in visa applications, while also improving intelligence through shared research on irregular migration patterns.
The agreement also includes continued deployment of vetted officers from the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission within the joint crime unit.
In May 2025, both countries signed a joint fraud action plan to strengthen collaboration in detecting, disrupting, and deterring cross-border financial crime, with a focus on intelligence sharing and joint law enforcement operations.
The United Kingdom accounted for about US$2.94 billion, or nearly half of total inflows during the quarter. Driven predominantly by portfolio investment, particularly into the financial and banking sectors.