LAGOS - The Nigerian government on Thursday warned citizens of the country against illegal migration to Europe.

Minister of Labor and Employment, Chris Ngige, gave the warning in Abuja, the country's capital city during the Unveiling Ceremony of the National Policy on Labor Migration.

The policy was developed with the technical and financial support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Ngige said there were recent reports published both locally and internationally about Nigerian citizens who lost their lives while attempting to cross into Europe through the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert.

He said as a country of origin and destination, Nigeria has derived signification benefits from migrant worker's remittances. And the government had attached much importance to the Labor Migration Policy.

He said the risk associated with irregular migration and its impact on the country's human resources and national development necessitated the development of the coherent policy on Labor migration.

Earlier, Enira Krdzalic, Chief Mission, IOM, said significant efforts were needed to operationalize the policy plan and turn it into tangible results.

Krdzalic said the IOM, within the framework of European Union and IOM Development Fund projects, has supported the Nigerian Government to develop initiatives to effectively manage migration in efficient and coherent manner.