The United Kingdom has signed a new agreement with Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government to simplify the return of Nigerian nationals who have no legal right to remain in the country.
Under the deal, Nigeria will now recognise official UK-issued identification letters for individuals without valid passports. This change removes the need to wait for emergency travel documents, speeding up the deportation process for visa overstayers, failed asylum seekers, and foreign offenders.
The agreement was reached during President Tinubu’s historic state visit to the UK — the first by a West African leader in nearly four decades. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the visit as a major step forward in strengthening ties between both nations.
During the visit, Tinubu held high-level talks in London, including meetings at Downing Street and a formal state banquet hosted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle. Both countries pledged to deepen cooperation across trade, infrastructure, defence, and sustainable development.
The UK Home Office confirmed that returns to Nigeria have already risen significantly, nearly doubling to 1,150 annually. Officials believe the new agreement will further accelerate the process and strengthen immigration enforcement.
As part of broader collaboration, both countries will launch joint operations and improve intelligence sharing to tackle criminal networks exploiting visa systems. A new document verification system will also be introduced to detect fraud, following cases involving fake job sponsorships, sham marriages, and forged financial records.
Nigeria has also committed to reviewing its laws to impose stricter penalties on immigration-related crimes.
In addition to immigration cooperation, the UK announced a £746 million investment deal to support the refurbishment of two major ports in Lagos. The project, backed by UK Export Finance, will channel significant contracts to British firms, boosting trade relations between the two countries.
President Tinubu’s visit also carried cultural and religious significance, marking the first UK state visit by a Muslim leader during Ramadan in nearly a century. Special arrangements were made to accommodate his observance of the holy month.
The visit comes amid security concerns in Nigeria, following recent deadly attacks in Borno State linked to extremist group Boko Haram, highlighting ongoing challenges facing the country.
