The Federal Government has announced that it now has the capacity to track visa overstayers in Nigeria through a new technology-driven monitoring system.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the first day of the Ministry of Interior 2026 Sectoral Retreat held in Abuja.
The system, known as the Integrated Operation Centre (IOC), allows authorities to monitor the movement of travellers entering the country and identify individuals who remain beyond the validity of their visas.
What the minister said
Tunji-Ojo said the Ministry of Interior, working through the Nigeria Immigration Service, now has the technological capability to track all travellers entering the country and identify visa defaulters.
- “We can now know the exact number of people that have overstayed in our country and make the number available,” the minister said.
He explained that the system enables the government to take stronger control of Nigeria’s border space by keeping real-time records of travellers and monitoring visa compliance.
- “We are also going after them and with the NIS we have today, I am proud to say our border is standing on the firm foundation of technology,” he added.
More details
According to the minister, the IOC is an artificial intelligence-driven, multilayered platform that combines cybersecurity and network operations to improve migration and border management.
- The platform is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s migration control system by harmonising data on travellers entering the country while also improving expatriate administration.
- Tunji-Ojo noted that the ministry has begun consolidating immigration data and equipping personnel with digital tools to improve border monitoring and enhance national security.
The minister also highlighted the importance of national identity data in strengthening the new system.
He said more work still needs to be done until the National Identity Management Commission successfully captures the biometric and demographic data of all Nigerians.
- “Not until every Nigerian is captured, we cannot say we have succeeded as there is a lot to be done,” he said.
What you should know
Nigeria has been implementing a series of reforms in its migration and border management system aimed at improving security and monitoring the movement of foreign nationals.
- Last year, the Service introduced new penalties as part of broader immigration reforms aimed at improving compliance and border management. These reforms include a daily fine of $15 for each day a foreign national remains in Nigeria after their visa expires, alongside other sanctions depending on the duration of the overstay.
- Under the enforcement framework, individuals who overstay their visas for three months or more may face the daily fine in addition to a five-year entry ban, while those who remain in the country for one year or longer risk permanent blacklisting and deportation.
The immigration service has also launched nationwide enforcement operations against foreigners who fail to regularise their stay after visa expiration.
To encourage compliance, they introduced an Expired Visa Initiative (amnesty programme) that allowed foreign nationals with expired visas or residence permits to regularise their status or voluntarily leave Nigeria without penalties before stricter enforcement began.
