The Federal Government says the project targeted at deploying automated management solutions across Nigerian borders is now 60% ready.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja shortly after inspecting the e-border management centre as well as the Command and Control Centre for the electronic gates at the airports.
According to him, while the e-border project is almost completed, the e-Gates Command and Control Centre is now 100% completed and awaiting commissioning by President Bola Tinubu.
“While we are pleased to announce that the Command and Control Centre for the e-gate project is now ready for commissioning, the first phase of the e-border management solution is about 60% complete,” the Minister said.
The project
Speaking with journalists after the inspection, the Minister said the e-border solution is not just for air borders or airports but also for land borders that are known to be more porous.
“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, Phase 1 of the whole border surveillance system would have been completed and from here we can view, and 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 an 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 action.
“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 to make Nigeria a safe country for people to be able to sleep with their two eyes closed,” the Minister said.
What you should know
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N52 billion to purchase the e-border surveillance systems for the country in 2019. The project was part of efforts to ensure effective monitoring of the nation’s borders through technology.
Once fully implemented, the system is expected to monitor and provide real-time information from major border posts in the country.
However, the project did not start until 2022. Announcing the commencement of the project by the second quarter (Q2) of 2022, the then Acting Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Alhaji Isah Idris, said the government had already signed an agreement with a Chinese Company for the installation of surveillance cameras across 84 border locations of the country.
Since then, the project has dragged on as the Interior Ministry blamed the lack of funds for the delay in the implementation.
