The Federal Government through the Nigerian Immigration Service(NIS) has trained 105 officers in the application and use of the installed e-solution at the national borders.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the officers, Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo praised the Kemi Nandap-led Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS for its innovative approaches to border management and migration governance.
He pledged the NIS greater vigilance along Nigeria’s 4,047 kilometres of borders, saying government would soon rehabilitate the Forward Operating Bases FOBs of the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS with a view to ensuring effective border management.
Nigeria’s shares its 4,047km border with Benin Republic 773km, Cameroun 1,690km, Chad 87 Km, Niger 1,497km and the Gulf of Guinea 853 km.
He urged the officers to endeavor to protect Nigeria’s borders – all the 4,047 kilometers, saying that the borders are very peculiar.
According to him, “ Nigeria is both a Sahel state and a state in the Gulf of Guinea. That is a unique geographical location and you have to understand that. In the Sahel, you understand the situation of the Sahel. Five of the top ten poorest countries in the world are in the Sahel.
‘’The issue of climate change is an issue that also affects irregular migration within the Sahel, and we also know that the proximity to wealth and the proximity to opportunities within the Gulf of Guinea is also an encouragement for irregular migration.
‘’So there is a lot we have to do. The challenges are many, but the good news is that we have officers who I know are capable, officers who are competent, and officers who are professional enough to protect our borders.
Earlier, Comptroller General of Immigration Service(CGIS), Kemi Nandap said the 105 officers were drawn from 28 border formations.
She said the training was to develop competencies in deploying and handling the e-border solution, adding that apart from investing in technology, the NIS management is also investing heavily in human capital development.
She said the training given the officers will afford the NIS the opportunity for better surveillance, data capturing and data management as well as collaboration with other stakeholders both regional and international.
