The federal government yesterday tested the electronic gates (e-gates) mounted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, asserting that the job is 99 percent completed.
The minister of Interior, Dr Olubumi Tunji-ojo, who carried out the test-run of the newly installed e-gate said, the equipment would be deployed for full operations by next week.
Tunji-ojo, who further reiterated that the e-gates were being deployed to eliminate human interfaces, reduce bureaucracy and make movements of passengers in and out the country seamless, also reaffirmed his earlier promise that 29 of the e-gates would be deployed in Lagos, four in Enugu and Kano while Port-Harcourt would have five.
He said, “t is expected that the e-gates which will also be deployed in Lagos, Enugu, Kano and Port-Harcourt, will eliminate human interfaces, reduce bureaucracy and make movements of passengers in and out the country seamless.
According to him, the Airport infrastructure and Command and Control Centres (CCC) have been subjected to different tests with fake and expired passports rejected while genuine ones were cleared.
The minister was confident that with the massive infrastructure, “no unwanted persons or persons of interests can find their ways into Nigeria. Our security through the airports and in the airport domains are guaranteed.
“It is a testimony to what Mr President told us from day one on his Renewed Hope Agenda. He asked us to change the narratives and make passengers movements in and out of the country seamless.
“You can see that we have all our team here working in synergy with the authorities of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders.”
Dr Tunji-ojo commended the minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo (SAN) and other critical stakeholders for supporting the project and making its realisation possible.
He was accompanied by was accompanied by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr Aishetu Ndayako and the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service ( NIS), Kemi Nanna Nandap, among other top government officials.
