FG automates border security processes

In a bid to strengthen Nigerian security, the Federal government has automated the country’s border security processes for easy record keeping.

Speaking on Wednesday at a joint briefing between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo explained that as you are coming into the country, “you have filled an entry card online.

“It is automated, so within the system, once they put your passport number, the details will come up immediately of when you entered, the type of visa by which you entered, the length of time you were stamped in.

“The system knows it already, pulls it out, as you are going out of the country, the first place you will approach is the boarding desk of an airline, that is where the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) comes in. Once you approach and say, I am traveling back to my country, they will say, where is your exit card? That is the first thing they want.

“They won’t give you a boarding pass to go on board. They punch in your passport number and details will come up as to when this person entered the country, when were you stamped in, and for how long were you stamped in. It will show there.

“So once it shows there that you have overstayed, the airline, by the protocol the NCAA, you be denied boarding and refer to immigration. It is as simple as that” he stated.

While welcoming the Minister of Interior, Dr. Tunji Ojo, Keyamo said the Aviation Ministry and the Interior Ministry, from day one, “we have decided to cooperate, to collaborate, and we have been doing this seamlessly.

“My brother here, the Minister of Interior, and myself, we have met on several occasions behind the cameras. This is just the first time we decided to do it in front of the cameras. But we have met several times behind the cameras on several issues that were stalled for so many years through successive administrations that could not take off.

“But under this government, these issues have been seamlessly resolved between aviation and interior. Today is another example of that kind of cooperation and collaboration, and this has to do with the introduction of the E-Visa. The details will be explained by my brother, the Minister of Interior.

“We have agreed with our agencies, immigration, NCAA, and FAAN to work tirelessly, smoothly on this new initiative. We have responsibilities under our belts with this new initiative, and we have agreed to cooperate fully. We have absolutely no objection to this very laudable programme that is principally a programme of the Minister of Interior” the Minister explained.

In his address, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo appreciated the Minister of Aviation, “Let me start by appreciating the Honorable Minister of Aviation for all the support. What he said briefly has very serious effect on our national security architecture.

“He spoke about the AP solution, the Advanced Passenger Information System. We collaborated and today our borders are safer than ever. Secondly, in the last couple of weeks, some people on Interpol red list have been arrested in Nigeria at the point of entry via the AP solution.

“These people, before the advent of this administration, would have found their way into Nigeria. But because we decided to work together, today those guys have been arrested and handed over to Interpol. This is what we can achieve as a people when we collaborate and we decide to work in the interest of Nigeria.

“Today, all our terminals in Lagos and the Abuja airport, we have our E-Gate installed and working fine and giving Nigerians comfort. Now, after the E-Gate, the third leg is why we are here today, which is with regards to the E-Visa and the introduction of the automated landing and exit card”.

He stated; “We understand prior to now, we have always had the exit and landing card, but in a manual way, you had to fill out a paper form. Well, we said Nigeria is a country of 230 million brilliant people and we have to lead the pack when it comes to technology. And in view of that, we are automating and it will all take effect from the 1st of May, 2025.

“So the landing and exit card will be filled online and presented to airlines before you can be boarded. So that responsibility of coordinating and issuing regulation to the airline, of course, is NCAA. And we know, we have agreed today that NCAA, will do that,” Ojo said.

They also agreed to set up a Committee for the smooth implementation of the initiative while a month amnesty widow is given from the date of the commencement of the policy.