The National Action Plan for the Eradication of Statelessness in Nigeria (NAP), and key commitments of the High-Level Segment on Statelessness (HLS) are pending implementation.
It is important to ensure that those who are entitled to Nigerian citizenship, but lack the evidence to show their connection, are enabled to verify their citizenship; and that those who are not Nigerian under the law but are long-term residents, are provided with protection and routes to acquire Nigerian citizenship or verification of their citizenship in another country.
The right of every child to a nationality and to have their birth registered immediately is clearly established in international law (for example, Article 7 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child).
UNHCR’s strategy remains a focus on advocacy at the national and sub-national level to encourage a progressive interest among government stakeholders, coupled with activities at the implementation level that impact all people of concerns at risk of statelessness.
UNHCR will support the birth registration exercises in selected locations in Abuja and Benue to contribute to bridging the birth registration gaps for people of concerns to UNHCR and other at-risk population, in collaboration with the National Population Commission, NCFRMI and UNICEF.
UNHCR will support enrolment on the nationality identity management database and issuance of national identity numbers (NIN) for refugees and at-risk population. The Office will also advocate for targeted issuance of civil documentation for Nigerian returnees from Cameroon from the Bakassi Peninsula.
UNHCR will also support capacity building of relevant stakeholder through the provision of training and technical expertise on statelessness.