Immigration: We’ll deploy technology to secure borders

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has vowed to activate a tech-driven mechanism to protect Nigeria’s 4,047 km borders from irregular migrants and cross-border crimes.

This is part of the resolutions reached by stakeholders, security institutions and top management of the Service at the end of the annual Comptroller-General Conference held in Jos, Plateau state, at the weekend.

The Comptroller-General of the Service, Kemi Nanna Nandap, who signed the communique at the end of the conference, said the Service would henceforth pay exceptional attention to Nigeria’s 4,047km territorial borders with Benin (773km), Cameroun (1690km), Chad (87Km), Niger (1497) and the Gulf of Guinea, (853km), to ensure maximum security for the country.

The Service also said it would restructure and improve its operations in the 774 local government councils in Nigeria to strengthen intelligence gathering and synergy with sister security agencies for seamless migration management and border governance.

• #EndBadGovernance: ACF asks FG to Halt ‘sham’ treason trial
• IOM trains Benue journalists in humanitarian reporting

She said the conference had the theme “Enhancing border security and migration management in a globalized world: Challenges and Opportunities for Nigeria”, adding that it touched on three broad perspectives to assess the current state and preparedness of the NIS to meet its statutory mandate, identify emerging challenges and opportunities in Border Governance and Migration Management.

Nandap added it was also meant to “develop sustainable strategies for repositioning the NIS towards enhancing National Security and Economic interests.”

She said the Service would sustain the deployment of relevant “cutting-edge technology to improve border security, migration and management through automated Visa Issuance and Passport application processes.”

“The Service shall draw up a strategic plan that aligns with the FGN’s initiatives on Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and Tourism that will attract improved funding,” Nandap stated in the Communique.