Tinubu to Nigerians: Don’t Let Politics Divide Us, Unveils NIS Technology Complex

•Says interior minister doing Nigeria proud globally  

•Immigration reveals how 10 high risk passengers were flagged, arrested in a week using surveillance tech  

•New technology to save Nigeria N300m yearly, Tunji-Ojo declares

Deji Elumoye and Michael Olugbode in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has pleaded that Nigeria should not be allowed to disintegrate on the altar of political differences, calling for peace and unity in the country even as he insisted that Nigerians are one no matter whatever divide us.

He made the appeal yesterday during the commissioning of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex (BATTIC) at the headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS in Abuja.

He described Nigerians as occupants of one building, but living in different rooms.

In his keynote address, President Tinubu said, “the integration of security, whether air, land or sea embarked upon by the ministry is a fulfillment of a dream.

“From the beginning of our administration, you promised to deliver and execute innovative solutions across the government including the NIS,” he said.

He commended the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for his developmental strides, saying what he has “achieved in passport alone has given this country great reputation internationally. I thank you. We must thank you.”

Tinubu said he was proud to see the NIS taking its pride of place as a frontline security agency in the country.

“Our visa approval centre will provide a one-stop shop for visa applications. What more? Nigerians and visitors can travel with ease, do business partnerships with ease and live honestly with each other.

“Like I always say, the world is getting smaller with ICT and the house is just a house for all of us. We hear political cracks here and there, we are one family, living in the same house but staying in different rooms. And it is in our hands to do justice to our children.

“The centre being commissioned today should provide a sustained communication architecture linking relevant agencies with a collaborative technology along a trusted information network. I am very proud of those who are involved and the leadership that you have demonstrated,” the president added.

Tinubu said a rejig of the Immigration Service and air travel would benefit Nigeria tremendously through ease of entry and ease of exit.

“We at this stage with over 200 million  people and a leader in Africa must embrace technology changes, innovation, and knowledge-based opportunities to drive a process that is greater for the generality and a vast number of people.

“We believe that if we rejig our immigration and air travel, we will benefit tremendously from economic opportunities it offers, ease of entry and exit.

“From the beginning of our administration, we promise to deliver and execute Innovative solutions across the government including the Nigerian Immigration Service. The integration of the security whether air, land or sea embarked upon by the Minister of Interior is a fulfilment of a dream.

“In only two locations of the world we acknowledged the passport as more of a security document than a travelling document and must be treated as such and that is what we are doing right now, given the position of the country as leaders in Africa I am proud to see the service taking it true place as a security outfit.

“I could see everything working together for the benefit of the country. With the Nigerian Visa Approval Centre, the country will provide a one-stop shop for visa applications.

“Thank God today we achieve that and we are making tremendous progress. The center will also profile high risk levels of passengers, suspicious travel patterns, enhance video surveillance in the unnamed areas, especially along the border areas, as well as cross referencing of data with other international organisations.”

According to President Tinubu, “This project embarked upon, by you, is a great accomplishment, as this state of the art complex, will help Nigeria harness technology to drive development.”

The president who charged Nigerians to embrace technology and changes, added that, “We believe that if we rejig our immigration and air travel, we will benefit tremendously from the opportunity it offers for ease of entry and exit.

“By 2025 we could have achieves 100 present  new passport regime. What you have achieved has given this country a great reputation not just within ECOWAS, but amongst other comity of nations.”

Tunji-Ojo said the idea of the Technology Innovation Complex, which houses the NIS Command and Control Centre, was first mooted 18 years ago, but due to rivalry among some agencies and the lack of political will to see the idea to fruition, the complex could not be built.

Speaking on the several benefits derivable form the project, the Interior minister said the complex was not just about immigration, as all agencies in the ministry could now share information in real time, harmonise data and respond to issues efficiently.

“The Command and Control Centre that we have is not just about the Advanced Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record API/PNR system. Even our border posts, over 200 points today, realtime entry and exit, over 5km in and out.

“We are watching the borders and getting information to be able to escalate to the armed forces when the need arises. Even our marine and air borders are covered.

“Let me say what we are commissioning today is a very massive complex. It is not just about immigration, because when we came on board, we realised that we were spending money, different agencies, wasting billions every year, and we decided that we should create a centre point where all of us can feed from.

“We started with an idea of 1.4 petabyte but what we have today is 8.3 petabyte, one of the largest in the world, meaning that all the agencies in the Ministry of Interior can work together harmoniously and exchange data and at the end of the day be able to respond in record time to any emergency or security threat.

“Also, we decided that for people who, all they aspire to do, is to be able to go to some West African countries to do business, they might not be able to afford the little money for passport and so here we have an ECOWAS ID Card project. The travel document will be available for people even at the lower rungs of the ladder.

“Before Your Excellency came to office, we had a visa regime that was discretionary, but now we have an automated service. You apply online and it goes through several checks including watch lists and the visa is issued within 48 hours.

“Also, we have the Correctional Information Management System. It has already been deployed. We saw what happened during jailbreaks some years ago. It was difficult getting the identities and biometrics of the escapees.

“But when we had the flood in Maiduguri, in less than three to four hours we had all information ready and shared with all security agencies and that led to the apprehension of so many of them,” said Tunji-Ojo.

He, however, said the country was expected to save over N300m annually, with the  inauguration of the new technology, saying, “Nigeria was wasting billions every year, but with this state of the art technology, the country will save over N300m annually

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, said he and his interior counterpart, had on assumption of office resolved to tackle interagency rivalry and deliver a world-class project for the benefit of Nigerians.

Keyamo said the project was an example of inter-ministerial cooperation between Interior and Aviation.

“This initiative had been mooted many years ago in the past government but there was constant friction between both ministries as to who should be in charge,” he said.

Keyamo added that the situation changed when he and the interior minister came on board and they decided that the project must be done for the benefit of the country.

He noted that of the 54 countries in Africa, Nigeria was one out of seven to have the system in place, according to the International Air Transport Association IATA.

Speaking on the project, the Comptroller General of Immigration Service CGIS, Kemi Nandap, said the complex was more than just a building, but a bold step in modernising immigration infrastructure, and a powerful tool in NIS’ ongoing efforts to safeguard the nation’s borders, manage migration effectively, and enhance national security.

She said the facility has achieved certification with the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO and integrated with the International Air Transport Association IATA, further ensuring the integrity and accountability of individuals entering our country.

“Additionally, BATTIC is a multi-faceted complex comprising several critical components that will play a pivotal role in Nigeria’s security and migration management.

“These include the Command-and-Control Centre for Regular Migration; the NIS Data Centre and Visa Approval Centre; the Interior Data Centre; the Passport Personalization Centre; the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) Centre; and, the 0.5KW Solar Farm.

“Each of these components has been meticulously designed to meet international standards, ensuring that Nigeria not only catches up with global trends but becomes a leader in the management of migration data.

“At the heart of BATTIC’s mission is its ability to manage and analyse varying levels of data efficiently, using state-of-the-art technology. Allow me to highlight some of the key functions and capabilities of this remarkable facility:

“Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) Analysis: This enables us to assess the risk levels of passengers even before they arrive in Nigeria or depart from their country of origin.

“Identification of Suspicious Travel Patterns: By analysing travel data, we can detect anomalies that may indicate potential security threats.

“24/7 Surveillance: The complex will support real-time video surveillance to monitor unmanned border areas across the federation, ensuring a constant watch on border activities,” she said.

According to her, BATTIC would facilitate seamless communication across all levels—from Border Patrol Units to Border Control Posts, State Commands, the Service Headquarters, and the Ministry of Interior.

Her words: “Cross-Referencing with National and International Watchlists: Data will be cross-checked against various national and global security databases, including INTERPOL, to ensure no security threats slip through the cracks.

“In essence, BATTIC will serve as the central hub for our digital infrastructure, dramatically enhancing our surveillance capabilities, streamlining migration management, and strengthening our national security framework.

“Operationalizing the Solutions in this facility will enhance migration management in Nigeria. With its advanced analytics, BATTIC will allow us to better monitor migration patterns, control border points, and prevent illegal crossings,” the CGIS added.

Nandap, who revealed how 10 high risk passengers were flagged and apprehended within the first one week of the installation of the data, noted that the country stood to gain new confidence from airport users, travelling to the country.

“Within one week of installation, 10 high interest persons were flagged and arrested, who had wanted to sneak into the country to cause security breach, using the technology,” she said.