Ayobamiji Komolafe 
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the deployment of an e-border solution covering 40% of the country’s borders as part of efforts to bolster national security.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who disclosed this during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday emphasized the importance of technological innovation in safeguarding lives and property within Nigeria.
According to the Minister, the e-border solution is a significant step in strengthening the nation’s border security and migration management.
He explained that the first phase of the project has been fully completed and includes the deployment of newly acquired vehicles to enhance border monitoring.
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“I’m happy to tell you that the first phase of our e-border solution has been completed.
“It covers 40% of the design, and we hope to begin the second phase this year,” Tunji-Ojo said.
Tunji-Ojo further revealed that part of the border control initiative involves the deployment of e-gate technology at airports.
He noted that Abuja’s e-gates have been operational for the past two months, with Lagos following suit.
The government has also adopted the Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Records (PNR) systems to streamline traveller identification and improve border management.
With the commissioning of the Command and Control, Technology, and Innovation Centre at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) headquarters, the minister highlighted that real-time monitoring of land borders and entry points is now possible, further strengthening the country’s migration management capabilities.
Tunji-Ojo expressed concern over Nigeria’s previous visa processes, which he described as inconsistent and prone to abuse.
He announced the establishment of a centralized Visa Approval Centre in Abuja to unify visa issuance procedures.
The new centre aims to eliminate manual visa issuance and ensure uniformity, replacing the previous dual-regime system that allowed some countries to issue handwritten visas while others used biometric systems.
“There was no control. If an immigration officer collected $100, they could issue a visa. We had manual visas written with biro in some countries and biometric visas in others.
“It meant Nigeria was running two visa regimes,” he said.
The government’s commitment to securing borders and streamlining immigration processes marks a significant step towards improving national security and aligning with global best practices.
