The Department of State continues to advise prospective adoptive parents to reconsider intercountry adoptions from Nigeria. A June 2023 notice outlined concerns about verifying children’s origins.

The Department of State and USCIS have consulted with Nigerian judicial officials, anti-trafficking officials, and a wide range of other adoption professionals in Nigeria. We have also discussed adoption issues with government officials from other countries that are receiving children adopted from Nigeria, and those who have ceased adoptions from Nigeria in recent years. These meetings have further raised our concerns about the systemic fraud and lack of oversight in the adoption processes in Nigeria.

Over the past several years, the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos has worked closely with USCIS to streamline and refine our review of adoption cases. However, the many challenges to adoptions in Nigeria are widespread. In FY22, USCIS denied 69 percent of Nigerian Form I-600 cases, and in FY23, USCIS denied 73 percent of Nigerian cases.

Please visit our Nigeria Intercountry Adoption Information Page for more information about intercountry adoptions from Nigeria.