- By Femi Alabi
The Federal Government has installed 30-second biometric clearance gates for the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at all international airports across the country.
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo stated this on Monday in Abuja when he undertook a tour of the new biometric equipment installed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the Command and Control Centre at the NIS headquarters, also in the nation’s capital.
He said that the facilities would ensure effective and efficient management of international passengers in the country.
Tunji-ojo said the biometric gates can screen and clear a passenger within 30 seconds without any interface or contact with immigration personnel.
The minister added that the facilities would be ready in Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Kano, Abuja and Enugu in March, adding that Lagos would have 17 gates while 10 gates would be installed in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano would have five each and Enugu four.
“The facilities are about 70 percent ready. This means our border control management system is on track. It also means that the Nigeria Immigration Service is ready to contribute its quota to the National Security Architecture.
“The efficiency of the services provided by the NIS determines whatever we see in our security outlook as a nation. All these are being done in line with global best practices and standards and in consonance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to provide quality services to Nigerians.
“We have decided that the more the gates at the airports, the easier it would be for passengers to be cleared. And looking at the ones that have been tested, it takes about 30 seconds for a passenger to clear. So, I look at the solutions and the hardware, and I think they are a top-notch,”