Lagos, Nigeria – The acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), Mrs. Caroline Adepoju, has announced plans to procure aircraft, helicopters, and drones to bolster the nation’s border security and management efforts.
Speaking at a retreat organized by the NIS in Lagos, Adepoju emphasized the significance of acquiring surveillance equipment like drones and helicopters for monitoring the movement of people and goods across the country’s borders. She also mentioned the NIS’s previous ownership of aircraft, and they are actively working to reintroduce these assets to enhance border surveillance.
Adepoju stated, “We are going to buy aircraft, we will buy drones. We are going to buy helicopters to ensure that we effectively do aerial border management.”
Furthermore, she revealed that by 2024, the NIS intends to deploy an electronic gate system at national borders, including air, land, and sea borders. The e-gate, which will rely on biometric identity verification, is designed to provide a seamless experience for travelers and reduce the need for direct interaction with immigration officers, making the process less stressful.
Adepoju explained, “The electronic gate, for example, our nationals may not need, except they are persons of interest, to be attended to by immigration officers.”
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Values and Social Justice, Mr. Fela Durotoye, called for agencies working at the airport to collaborate closely and share relevant intelligence.
The Comptroller of NIS, MMIA Command, Mrs. Adeola Adesokan, commended the collaborative efforts of security operatives and border management officials at the airport, which has facilitated increased investor interest in the country.
Representing the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Kabir Yusuf, Mr. Sunday Ayodele, the Regional Manager for Southwest and Airport Manager, expressed the need for infrastructure support to enhance the facilitation process at the airport. He acknowledged the positive impact of inter-agency collaboration among agencies at Lagos Airport within the air travel value chain.