[Translate to Englisch:] The ARRIVES team in the Nigeria office

About us

Learn more about ARRIVES and our mission, the organisations behind our programme, and how you can partner with us.

What is ARRIVES?

ARRIVES stands for Assisting the Reintegration of Returnees through Integrated Vocational and Entrepreneurship Support.

We are a voluntary support programme for Nigerian nationals in Germany who are considering returning to Nigeria.

Our mission is to help Nigerians who choose to return to reintegrate successfully and build long-term financial stability—either through securing a job or starting their own business.

We support people throughout the entire return journey, from preparing for departure in Germany to settling back into life in Nigeria, helping them navigate the process and build on the valuable skills and experience they bring with them.

ARRIVES is jointly implemented by three partner organisations — Social Impact, IRARA and the International Trade Centre — with teams working across Germany and Nigeria.

Who we are

Social Impact

Social Impact is a German social innovation agency with more than 30 years’ experience delivering projects that build a fairer and more sustainable society. It coordinates the ARRIVES programme and provides support to Nigerians in Germany considering voluntary return.

Visit Social Impact’s website

IRARA

International Returns and Reintegration Assistance (IRARA) is a leading international provider of reintegration assistance for people wishing to resettle in their country of origin. Through ARRIVES, IRARA works with returnees after arrival in Nigeria, offering job coaching through its extensive local networks.

Visit IRARA’s website

International Trade Centre

The International Trade Centre (ITC) is a United Nations agency that supports small businesses and policymakers in developing countries. It brings practical training, advisory services and business intelligence to ARRIVES to help strengthen trade and economic development in Nigeria.

Visit the ITC’s website

See our teams in action

People gather around an ARRIVES information booth as part of an outreach event in Nigeria.

Partner with us

Partnerships are central to ARRIVES. We work with organisations in Germany and Nigeria to ensure people returning receive coordinated, practical and effective support.

Return counsellors

In Germany, ARRIVES partners closely with return counsellors–independent professionals who provide confidential, impartial and free advice to people considering voluntary return.

We work side by side, so that returnees can access the administrative, financial, and job or business coaching support they need for a dignified and informed return to Nigeria.

Nigerian employers

People returning to Nigeria after living and working in Germany bring valuable skills, international experience and new ideas that can benefit Nigerian employers.

We partner with a wide range of companies and organisations across Nigeria to connect returnees with suitable roles and support the development of a skilled and diverse workforce.

Migration stakeholders

ARRIVES partners with government institutions, civil society organisations and other migration stakeholders to strengthen reintegration systems and improve coordination between services supporting returnees.

Our partners include:

Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), to help returnees register their new businesses and access training and financial services.
The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), to help people resettle and reintegrate in Nigeria after their return.
Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria (EAPEAN)
National Directorate of Employment (NDE)

If you are interested in partnering with arrives, contact our team today.

How we are funded

ARRIVES is co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) of theEuropean Union and the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).

We are separate from asylum and residence decision-making processes and have no role in decisions about individual cases.

Our funders receive general information about how the programme is working overall, but they do not have access to personal details or conversations between ARRIVES and the people we support. Speaking with ARRIVES is confidential and does not affect a person’s asylum application or residence status in Germany.

Our support

Learn how ARRIVES supports voluntary return to Nigeria, from planning and coaching to reintegration services and funding opportunities.

Discover our support

Browse our resources

Browse our helpful resources on job and business opportunities in Nigeria, reintegration services for returnees, and trends in the Nigerian labour market.

View our resources

Stories from ARRIVES

Discover inspiring stories of entrepreneurship, reintegration and new beginnings from people we’ve supported to return from Germany to Nigeria.

Read our stories