The Minister of Interior, Hon. (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has described the newly built Command and Control Centre of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), as a project of pride to the nation.
The Minister stated this on Wednesday while inspecting the new facility alongside the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nana Nandap, at the Service Headquarters, in Sauka, Abuja.
“For IATA to come from Canada to make a pronouncement that this (facility) is as good or better than any in the world. Today, I feel so proud to be a Nigerian. That the solution was deployed by a local company even makes one happier.
“What it means is that Nigerians can solve Nigeria’s problems. For me, this shows what we can achieve when we come together as a people. 17 years of waiting has come to an end. This is not a victory for the Ministry of Interior, but a Victory for Nigeria.
“As a government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), we remain committed to deliver on our Renewed Hope mandate of enabling the ease of doing business.
“Now, we have the best border management security system that will integrate all migration activities for close monitoring from a central observatory command by qualified officers. There is no more excuse for non-performance for the NIS,” the Minister noted in appreciation of the quality of the facility.
Speaking on the Inter-Ministerial collaboration that played out in the realisation of the project, the Aviation Minister described the project as a “one-stop shop for border management”, adding that the country, through the development of the facility, has demonstrated its global invitation for investments.
He said, “We are excited to be part of this. For projects of this magnitude and potential, we are always ready to collaborate. In the world commerce, this is called a one stop-shop for all security agencies managing our border, especially in our airports.
“Also, this is us demonstrating that Nigeria is open for investment. We are inviting the private sector to invest in Nigeria for business and economic prosperity.”
According to the Comptroller General, the facility will not only streamline their core mandate but also foster unprecedented collaboration among Nigeria’s security agencies.
“We at the NIS are ready to take over this project because it will help in our core mandate which is migration and border security management,” she said.
“This is a huge milestone as this project will help pull all security agencies in Nigeria to work together as one. This project will help in our processes, making it more seamless with passenger clearance easier and quicker,” she added.
Savas Toplama, Senior Digital Transformation expert at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), hailed the cutting-edge technology of the facility, noting that it boasts a unique and robust security infrastructure that meets the highest international standards.
In his remarks, Toplama acknowledged the sophistication of the solution, highlighting its compatibility with global top-tier security systems.
Commenting on the readiness of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), as a regulating body, to implement the usage of the new border control system, Mrs Ogechi Louis-Azode, GM (Legal NCAA), noted that the “draft proposal of the regulation for the take up of the API/PNR is already in place.”
On the significance of private sector investment in national infrastructural development, Dr. Jobson Ewalefoh, Director, Contract Compliance, who represented the Director General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Joe Ohiani, noted that the project was at zero cost to the government.
The soon to be commissioned API/PNR facility is expected to streamline traveling experience, and serve as the country’s “Information Base Station” from which data from the country’s five (5) international airports, land and sea borders would be stored, processed, and retrieved in real-time for analysis.
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