The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is due to visit Nigeria next month to sign an agreement with the authorities to speed deportations of failed Nigerian asylum-seekers.
Mr O'Donoghue is expected to stop off in Nigeria on his way to a United Nations world conference against racism in South Africa.
The readmission agreement will set procedures for deporting people to Nigeria, but is not expected to increase their number dramatically.
A Department of Justice spokesman said it would replace the current "ad-hoc arrangements with the Nigerian authorities for the return of their nationals who are residing illegally in the State and will provide an agreed mechanism and structured framework".
The Government has already signed a similar agreement with the Romanian authorities. Following this, the number of Romanians seeking refugee status in the State dropped significantly.
Nigerians are the largest single nationality seeking asylum in Ireland, accounting for about a third of applications this year until the end of June.
From 4,769 asylum claims in this six-month period, 1,635 were from Nigerians, and 629 (13.2 per cent) from Romanians. The top five countries of origin of applicants in 2000 were Nigeria, Romania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Algeria and Kosovo.
Only a small proportion of Nigerians have been granted refugee status which allows them to live permanently in the State on the grounds they need protection from persecution.
In the past two years about 358 people have been deported, including 187 last year. This year to date, 194 people have been deported.
The Nigerian agreement also allows increased co-operation between both states on technical assistance on immigration matters and the continuation of the Ireland Aid programme. It will require Dail approval before it comes into force.
Meanwhile, Mr O'Donoghue yesterday announced that his Department, along with the International Organisation for Migration, will carry out a pilot programme of "voluntary assisted return" for failed asylum-seekers and irregular migrants.
The programme aims to encourage people to return voluntarily to their country of origin instead of being deported. It will be aimed at Romanians and Nigerians and last for a year.
The International Organisation for Migration is an intergovernmental organisation.