By Ibrahim Bello
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Monday, inaugurated the Regional Border Management Academy to enhance the capacity and professionalism of its personnel as well as those of immigration officers in the West African sub-region.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the academy, was funded by the European union and the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) -Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling (A- TIPSON).
NAN reports that the project was handed over to the NIS Acting Comptroller-General, Mrs Wuraola Caroline Adepoju, in Tuga, Bagudo Local Government Area of Kebbi.
In her address, Adepoju said that the project was in furtherance of the collective commitment to regional integration and cooperation in migration management through training, research and knowledge sharing.
“The academy is a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to enhance the capacity and professionalism of our officers and by extension immigration officers across the West African region.
“The academy is a combined institute of both technology and conventional study.
“It caters for immigration and all border training with focus on safe migration as well as a degree awarding institution for civilian.
” It is opened to the region in terms of affiliation and collaboration in all ramifications to ensure safe migration with a holistic approach,” she said.
Adepoju, represented by Acting Deputy Comptroller- General of NIS, Kemi Nandap, expressed optimism that the academy would in no small measure ensure border security and contribute to safeguard the overall prosperity of the country and the West Africa region.
She thanked the A-TIPSON project of FIIAPP for their timely support, saying the intervention would serve as a centre of excellence to foster collaboration between the NIS and other border agencies across the region.
The Ag CG reiterated the commitment of the service to provide adequate security, superintend over the academy and ensure that it served as a beacon for effective service delivery with regards to migration management.
Earlier, the Team Leader of the FIIAPP (A-TIPSON), Mr Federico Milan, said that the academy would be a legacy the current NIS leadership would bequeath to the next generation of officers in the country.
“The academy structure comprises of 16 blocks of rooms, two boreholes, four store buildings, one shop building and solar street light within the 83.22 hectares of land located in Tuga,” he said.
Milan commended the NIS for the partnership and its effort in curbing trafficking and illegal immigration in the country and in the Sahara region at large. (NAN).
