Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to strategic, secure, and technologically advanced border management during a high-level engagement with the International Organization for Migration, IOM, and other key stakeholders in Abuja.
The Minister emphasized the country’s evolving identity as more than just a nation but a beacon of innovation, opportunity, and hospitality for all. “Nigeria is a nation of hope not just for Nigerians but for the global community. We are proud to host you and assure you of our peace loving, innovative people and our full cooperation in all migration related initiatives,” he stated.
Highlighting the government’s top priorities, the Minister stressed that border control remains a national focus: “A safe border is a secure nation. Without proper border management, we cannot ensure the safety of our people.”
The Minister said that notable progress has been made in the completion of Phase One of Nigeria’s e-Border Surveillance System, with plans underway to extend real-time monitoring across all 4,047 km of the nation’s borders.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo explained that, the government has enhanced Nigeria’s sovereign travel document, aligning it with global best practices.
He said that the government has also launched a digitalized landing and exit card system , as of 1st May across air, land, and maritime borders with e-Visa platform, providing applicants with a simplified process within 48 hours, thereby boosting economic activity through increased accessibility.
Dr. Olubunmi stressed that the government has established a centralized information management system to integrate visa, passenger, and security data for cross-referencing and national security enhancement with the implementation of Advance Passenger Information, API, systems, with future upgrades planned to transition to interactive API, iAPI, capabilities.
However, the Minister expressed grave concern regarding a recent IOM facilitated workshop that proceeded without consultation or involvement from the Nigerian Immigration Service or the Ministry.
He said that, the workshop was funded by a foreign ministry, touched on national security matters, prompting the Minister to denounce it as a “gross violation of our sovereign rights.”
The Minister said Nigeria is not helpless nation. “We are not helpless. We welcome collaboration, but support must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and dignity,” he asserted.
The Minister made clear that any engagement on national security issues must include relevant Nigerian authorities and reflect mutual respect.
In response, the IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission, Ms. Dimanche Sharon, offered heartfelt gratitude for the Minister’s candid remarks and the warm welcome to Nigeria. Sharing her personal experience of moving from Kenya to Nigeria, she praised the country’s remarkable spirit, creativity, and untold stories of innovation. “I am proud to call Nigeria home. I believe in telling a new story of Nigeria, the real story,” she said.
Ms. Sharon expressed IOM’s readiness to continue working in partnership with Nigerian authorities in line with three strategic priorities including saving lives and protecting vulnerable populations, driving solutions to displacement, and facilitating regular migration pathways, including efforts around digital transformation and border governance.
The dialogue was used to buttress a mutual reaffirmation of the need for stronger collaboration, greater transparency, and sovereign respect in all migration and border security initiatives.
