The Federal Government of Nigeria reiterated its strong commitment to addressing organized immigration crimes (OICs), highlighting the importance of international cooperation and proactive border security measures.
Speaking at the ongoing border security summit chaired by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Home Minister Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, chaired by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, highlighted a strong partnership for global partnerships and enhanced data sharing among countries.
“We need more data sharing and better collaboration to ensure we not only solve problems, but also prevent them from happening.,” said the minister.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo stressed that countries in the Sahel and West African subregions must strengthen cooperation for effective border management and information dissemination.
He described the summit as timely and influential, noting that it provides a platform for ministers to explore proactive solutions and better strategies to protect national borders.
“The main gains from this summit are proactive, not just reactive, as the state is now more willing to criminalize irregular immigration.,” he said.This summit is an influential summit as it brings an opportunity for the Minister of Border Control to ensure that we all manage the borders to protect our country. ”
He stressed that organized immigration crime is a global issue and is not unique to any country and therefore requires common responsibility and collective action.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo acknowledged the gravity of border-related crimes, outlining the strategic steps Nigeria has taken to strengthen its border security system.
“The federal government of Nigeria has a border control solution because Nigeria is not only a destination, but also a transit country. We have automated the solution as there are more steps to ensure that boundaries are protected and that irregular migrations are over,” he said.We cannot lose the battle before we start, so we know that as such summits on the United Front, we will effectively combat this threat. ”
Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria has made substantial investments in immigration management and border security frameworks.
Between 2023 and 2025, the country has upgraded its border surveillance technology to cover more communities and has procured more operational tools to effectively monitor its vast border areas – measures designed to curb cross-border crime and irregular immigration.
The London Summit brings together representatives from around 40 countries to promote international cooperation to address the growing threat of organized immigration crime and to strengthen collective responses to global immigration challenges.