The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s migration reforms and border management initiatives.
The Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Abuja, Ronald Sonnemans, gave the assurance on Monday during the official handover of equipment donated to the Hostmanship Unit of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
Sonnemans commended the visible improvements in professionalism, service delivery and institutional transformation within the NIS.
He also expressed appreciation for the longstanding migration partnership between Nigeria and the Netherlands, particularly the collaboration between the NIS and the Dutch Repatriation and Departure Service in migration management and the return of Nigerian nationals.
According to him, the Dutch Government highly values the cooperation and remains appreciative of its productive relationship with Nigeria.
”The cooperation with Nigeria is seen in the Netherlands, and my government really knows how well we cooperate with you.”
He praised the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, and officers of the service for their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and advancing institutional reforms.
Sonnemans noted that the hostmanship culture had become deeply rooted within the NIS, adding that its impact was evident in the professionalism displayed by immigration officers at Nigeria’s airports.
Drawing from his personal experience, he said officers processing his diplomatic passport often informed him that they had undergone hostmanship training.
”I can see a big difference in the conduct of immigration officers,” he said.
The Dutch envoy also welcomed the continuation of the Mobile Team Project after its initial phase, noting that it would further strengthen Nigeria’s border management capacity.
He commended the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) for its role in supporting the project and advancing migration management objectives between both countries.
Sonnemans reaffirmed the Netherlands’ commitment to sustaining its partnership with Nigeria on migration issues.
”The Netherlands will stay committed to partner with Nigeria in migration cooperation as we have done and will keep on doing in the future,” he reassured.
He also wished the NIS success in its ongoing institutional reforms and capacity-building efforts aimed at improving migration management and border administration.
Earlier, Senior Adviser to the Board of Directors of the Dutch Repatriation and Departure Service (DT&V), Ministry of Justice and Security, JanWillem König, described the Nigeria-Netherlands relationship as one of the strongest examples of international cooperation in addressing migration-related challenges.
König said combating irregular migration, including human smuggling, remained a shared challenge requiring sustained collaboration among nations.
He stressed that tackling the problem was in the collective global interest, particularly in preventing the human tragedies associated with irregular migration.
”Our services have important tasks such as the fight against irregular migration, including human smuggling. It is not only a challenge for my country, the Netherlands, Europe and Nigeria. Addressing it is in our global mutual interest,” he said.
He announced that a leadership programme for senior officers of the NIS would commence in September and would be facilitated by experts from the Netherlands.
According to him, the programme reflects the Dutch government’s confidence in the leadership of the NIS and its commitment to institutional excellence.
König also thanked Nandap for her unwavering support in promoting the hostmanship culture within the service.
”Without your continued support and commitment, none of this would have been possible. There is no better demonstration of success than today’s ceremony,” he said.
In her remarks, Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, said the partnership between both countries demonstrated that lasting institutional transformation was achievable through sincere collaboration.
She expressed appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and all stakeholders for their continued support.
Nandap also reaffirmed the NIS’s commitment to sustaining reforms that place professionalism, innovation and excellence at the centre of its operations.
