Federal Government has pledged greater vigilance along its 4,047 kilometres of border, saying it 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. Speaking in Abuja during the inauguration of 105 officers trained in the application and use of the installed e-solution at the national borders, 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 said; “Please, as you go out, let us protect our borders – all the 4,047 kilometers. The border is very peculiar. 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.
“We are constantly working on your FOBs because we know that a couple of, I mean, almost all the FOBs are nothing to write home about. We are working on that and I am sure in the next couple of months you will start seeing the FOBs. We are working on that and we are also working on so many other things I can’t talk about now, but you will be well-equipped to face the challenges. We will not send you to the farm without giving you the necessary tools that you need. Technology is one, but there are so many others besides technology. We have done our analysis. We know what you need, and I assure you, we will stand by you. “We want to charge you. The security of this country depends on your professionalism. The security of this country depends on your responsibility. The security of this country depends on your determination and your ability to sacrifice. Just as you know, we are not just telling you to stay and man the borders. This President came and gave you a condition of service like never before, because the president believes that a happy workforce should be an efficient workforce and that is why today, your promotion is regular. As a matter of fact, I think last year, we started and we ended 2023 promotion in 2023. As we speak, we are done with the 2024 promotion exercise, I think, in September and we have a target of finishing 2025 earlier than September. This president came and gave you increased salary, increased your allowances, and of course, gave us the confidence to be able to dream and to be who we know we can be. The least we can do is to pay him back by being diligent, by being efficient, and being the symbol of what Nigeria is about. Nigeria is about resilience. Nigeria is about determination. Nigeria is about efficiency, effectiveness. That is who we are”.
Earlier, Comptroller General of Immigration Service, 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.
Speaking on the gains derivable from the training, the CGIS said; “It will afford us the opportunity for better surveillance, data capturing and data management as well as collaboration with other stakeholders both regional and international. “Our borders are more secure and citizens are safer while this e-border solution will also facilitate trade. These officers have gone through a lot of trainings to ensure that once they are in the field, they know what to do, they know how to handle the systems we are deploying”, she added.
FG plans to revamp immigration’s FOBs, ensure greater border controls
