The Federal Government is moving to tackle cross-border banditry and irregular migration with the deployment of automated border management solutions across the vast borders in the country.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo disclosed this on Thursday, 23 May, 2024, in Abuja after inspecting the e-border management centre as well as the Command and Control Centre for the electronic gates at the airports.
The Minister said while the e-Border project was over 60 percent completed, the e-Gates Command and Control Centre is now 100 percent completed and awaiting commissioning by President Bola Tinubu. Both centres are domiciled in the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS Headquarters in Abuja.
Addressing journalists after the inspection, the Minister said: “On the border management solutions, we have gone very far. At the moment, I think we have done 60 percent in terms of deployment because what we saw the other time had to do with the air border solution, which is the Command and Control Centre, the e-Gates that we have. But we are not just talking about air borders or airports, we are also talking about our land borders and even the land borders as we know are more porous – both land and sea borders.
“What we are doing now is automating the whole surveillance system in our border space and real time, we can view a lot of our borders at this moment and I won’t want to disclose more. But the simple truth is we are automating the whole process and I think by October, the Phase 1 of the whole border surveillance system would have been completed and from here we can view, see kilometres away from the border before people even come into Nigeria.
“Also, there is a solution that enables people in the border areas to communicate directly if there is emergency. They can report issues and there are solutions as to how we just don’t take their reports or complaints but that we can swing into actions.
“We want to make our borders as interactive and safe as possible because in the larger perspective, the belief of Mr President is that a secure border is a secure nation. So, securing our border is very key in terms of securing our nation and the administration of President Bola Tinubu is not leaving any stone unturned in the quest of making Nigeria a safe country for people to be able to sleep with their two eyes closed.
“But I can tell you, anyone who thinks that he can perpetrate illegality within our border space should be prepared for the consequences. We are renewing the hopes of Nigerians in all areas of life. This is just Phase 1 and we will soon start Phase 2. We will do it in such a way that the entire 4,447 kilometres of Nigeria’s border is secured. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a step. We have started now and we are not going back until Nigerians can sleep with their two eyes closed”.
The Minister said on the commissioning of Command and Control Centre for the e-Gates, that the project was already completed and would soon be commissioned.
He revealed that: “We are waiting for Mr President. We have already notified the president and I am happy that the media have seen the place and you know it is 100 percent ready to go”, he stated.
On her part, Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap said the officers and men are well motivated and currently undergoing extensive trainings on the e-solutions.
She said: “We are over 60 percent gone with regard to the border management solutions and our officers and men are also being trained currently. We are ready and our officers are well motivated”, she said.
The CGIS explained that the border communities have been sensitized on how to collaborate with the service, adding that the NIS has opened a communication line with the communities in order to be able to get relevant information from them.
