Country Policy and Information Notes (CPIN) for Nigeria are official guidance documents published by the UK Home Office and used by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) caseworkers, decision-makers, and immigration judges to assess protection (asylum) and human rights claims from Nigerian nationals.
Purpose and Legal Function
Each CPIN provides:
* Country of Origin Information (COI): Objective evidence gathered from NGOs, international bodies (such as the UN, US State Department, and WHO), Nigerian legal statutes, and news reports.
* Policy Assessment: The Home Office’s official position on whether a specific fear amounts to persecution, whether the state offers adequate protection, and whether internal relocation is viable.
Key Thematic CPINs for Nigeria
* Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression (SOGIE): Highlights the criminalisation of same-sex sexual activity under secular federal law (up to 14 years imprisonment) and under Sharia in northern states. While open living is acknowledged as carrying serious risks, cases assess individual exposure, social visibility, and risk from state/non-state actors.
* Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Recognises women and girls at risk as forming a Particular Social Group (PSG). Assesses prevalence by region and ethnicity, as well as the effectiveness of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) alongside state-level enforcement.
* Trafficking of Women: Focuses heavily on victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation (notably originating from Edo State and southern regions). Evaluates risks of re-trafficking, family ostracisation, and support systems available via NAPTIP (National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons).
* Biafran Separatist Groups (IPOB / MASSOB): Examines state action against members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and MASSOB. Differentiates between high-profile activists or leaders and ordinary low-level supporters when assessing risk of detention or mistreatment.
* Security Situation & Non-State Groups: Covers threats from Boko Haram / ISWAP in the North-East, banditry/kidnapping in the North-West, and farmer-herder conflicts in the Middle Belt. Typically assessed under Article 15(c) (indiscriminate violence).
* Actors of Protection: Evaluates whether the Nigerian police (NPF) and judicial system provide sufficient state protection against non-state actors such as gangs, cults, or family members.
* Internal Relocation: Assesses whether a claimant facing localized threats can reasonably relocate within Nigeria (such as to major urban centres like Lagos or Abuja) without undue hardship.
* Medical Treatment & Healthcare (Article 3/8 ECHR): Evaluates the availability, accessibility, and cost of medical facilities, pharmaceuticals, and mental health services across public and private sectors in Nigeria.
The Three-Pronged Assessment Framework
UKVI decision-makers apply CPIN guidelines across three primary tests:
* Well-Founded Fear: Does the individual’s profile meet the threshold of persecution or serious harm under the 1951 Refugee Convention or European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR Articles 3 and 8)?
* Sufficiency of Protection: In cases involving non-state actors (such as local cults, chieftaincy disputes, or domestic violence), the Home Office generally considers the Nigerian state willing and able to provide protection in principle, placing the burden on the applicant to prove systemic failure in their specific case.
* Internal Relocation: Due to Nigeria’s size and geographic diversity, internal flight to urban areas (like Lagos, Abuja, or Port Harcourt) is frequently argued by UKVI as a viable, safe alternative unless specific vulnerabilities (such as gender, age, disability, or the reach of state-wide actors) make relocation unduly harsh.
