The Federal Government says it has commenced the process of deploying technology to enhance security at the country’s borders. This will include the installation of surveillance cameras across the country’s borders for real-time monitoring.
The Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Isa Idris, who disclosed this, said Chinese technology vendor, Huawei, has been contracted to deliver the e-border project.
While noting that the deployment of technology is the best solution to the country’s border challenge, he said efforts have reached an advanced stage to launch electronic border management systems across 84 border locations.
What the NIS CG is saying
Speaking with journalists during a virtual interactive session, the Acting CG noted that Nigeria’s borders are very massive covering 5,330 kilometres and with a total of an estimated 1,490 illegal entry points into the country. Yet, he added, the entire workforce of NIS is not more than 25,000.
- “So, it is increasingly difficult for us to adequately man the borderlines. That is why we have continued to appeal to the government to increase our budgetary allocations and also grant us approval for recruitments to reinforce the workforce. We thank the President and the team for the approval and the recruitment we carried out in 2021, but the reality is that we need more personnel to achieve effective border management and control,” he said.
- “As part of measures to mitigate these challenges, we have realised that the best way to man the vast border points in Nigeria is through the deployment of technology and that is what we are putting in place. Efforts have reached an advanced stage to launch electronic border management systems across 84 border locations. It is through this technology that we can monitor our borders real-time,” he added.
- The acting CG said the border patrol system is also being enhanced to ensure close and improved monitoring with the available personnel.
What you should know
- In April the Federal Government has directed the reopening of four more land borders shut since August 2019.
- It would be recalled that in October 2019, the Federal Government announced the total closure of land borders, placing a ban on both legitimate and illegitimate movement of goods in and out of the country.
- The closure of the borders was part of FG’s efforts to prevent the smuggling of illegal arms, food & agricultural products to stimulate local production
- In December 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate reopening of four of Nigeria’s land borders, over a year after they were all shut. The borders include Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfun.
