NIS Kicks-Off Nationwide Sensitisation On Dangers Of Irregular Migration

*Partners Agency For Capacity-Building

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) will next week kick-off nationwide sensitisation activities on the dangers of irregular migration.

The NIS has also assured that more efforts were being made including the deployment of eBorder assets aimed at ensuring enhanced Border security as well as humane, orderly and safe migration across the country’s Border Crossing Points.

This Comptroller General of Immigration, Isah Jere Idris, who made the disclosures Tuesday during a capacity-building organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung for NIS public relations officers of commands and formations, across the country in Abuja, commended the agency for its development activities in the country.

The CG who was represented the at the opening ceremony of the capacity building workshop by the Assistant Comptroller General in charge of Regular Migration, ACG Usman Abdullahi, thanked the Country Representative of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, and her team, for the excellent organisation of the workshop and called for closer collaboration for enhanced relationship. According to NIS Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller General of NIS, DCI Amos Okpu: “ACG Abdullahi affirmed management’s commitment to deepen capacity-building activities for public relations officers of the Service, with a view to equipping them with modern skills and competences to enable them communicate the ills of irregular migration to the public more effectively.

“Earlier in her remark, the Country Representative of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Ms Marija Peran, reiterated her agency’s readiness to partner with relevant stakeholders in the fight against irregular migration and other cross Border criminal activities as part of their development interventions.

“She noted that effective communication is critical in the fight against irregular migration hence her agency saw it very necessary to organise the workshop for PROs of the Service to sharpen their skills and understanding of the issues around irregular migration for a more coordinated fight against the scourge.

“The workshop which held between 19th-20th September, 2022, was attended by 45 PROs drawn from Commands and Formations across the country. Eminent resource persons such as Prof Jake Dan-Azumi, Dr Tony Luka Elumelu of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Peter Afunanya and Mr Arinze Mbanefo, from NAPTIP among others made insightful presentations during the event.

“A similar capacity building workshop was organised for PROs of the Service sometimes last year as part of deliberate resolve by management to develop and strengthen its communication activities for improved public engagement.

“A major highlight of the workshop was the presentation and adoption of a communique which called for enhanced deployment of effective communication interventions in addressing some dangers associated with emerging migratory realities as well as the need to scale up training and retraining efforts for PROs of the Service for enhanced performance.”