Nigeria, IOM, Switzerland To Strengthen Migration Governance

International Organization for Migration (IOM) is launching a new programme in partnership with the governments of Nigeria and Switzerland to enhance migration governance including border management across the country.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the press unit of the IOM in Abuja, stressing that the new programme spanning 24 months, will bolster the partnership between IOM and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

It also aims at supporting the assessment of three of the country’s key airports (Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja, Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) Rivers, and Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos); the training of border officials in migration data management and the deployment of key infrastructure to enhance border governance across the country.

Speaking during the project inception meeting held  in Abuja on October 15, assistant comptroller general (ACG ) C.N Onuora,  said  “Today’s meeting signals the beginning of a project that promises to deliver a long-lasting impact on our national security infrastructure with the general support of the Swiss Government and the technical expertise of IOM, which will focus on key areas including improved MIDAS data integration, forensic document examination and capacity building for our border personnel.

“This project builds on the successes of previous initiatives such as the deployment of mobile MIDAS units at Seme border and the training of NIS officers on the use of forensic document examination tools. It is important to emphasise that this project is not just about upgrading our infrastructure and technology but also about equipping our officers with skills and knowledge to effectively combat transitional organised crime, enhance migration management and safeguard our borders”, she added.

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Mrs Ojoma Ali, who represented the Swiss secretariat for Migration (SEM) at the project inception meeting said “We are excited to be here to announce the launch of the border management project and our involvement in expanding the MIDAS network within Nigeria.”

Stephen Matete, Senior Programme Manager for Immigration and Border Governance with IOM said “Robust partnerships are essential to harness the full potential of human mobility and strengthen migration governance.

“We are thrilled to continue this partnership with the Nigeria Immigration Service guided by the leadership of the CGI, to enhance border governance”.

Since 2015, IOM has been a key technical partner of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in strengthening migration governance, including through data collection, immigration and border management.

This partnership has enabled the Government of Nigeria to adopt the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) as the country’s primary Border Management Information System. The MIDAS is integrated into the national ICT architecture thereby forming a centralized operational database at the international airports in the country.

In addition to the infrastructural assessments and evaluations, the project will contribute to improving the capacities of NIS and border officials in forensic document examination though targeted trainings.