The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and with support from the European Union (EU), has begun the development of a new five-year National Border Management Strategy (NBMS) to guide Nigeria’s border governance from 2027 to 2031.
The initiative followed a three-day high-level workshop in Niger State, where the NIS top management reviewed the expired 2019–2023 NBMS and its Action Plan, with a view to incorporating lessons from the previous policy cycle and addressing emerging migration, security and technological challenges.
The workshop, held at Zuma Rock Resort from September 27 to 30, brought together NIS senior officials and development partners for strategic and technical deliberations on the future of Nigeria’s border management architecture.
A major focus of the review is the development of a border management system anchored on reliable migration data, stronger inter-agency collaboration and clear mechanisms for translating policy commitments into measurable operational outcomes.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, said the new strategy must be based on credible data and effective implementation, stressing the need for an actionable framework capable of responding to the changing dynamics of border management and national security.
Nandap also said the strategy should position Nigeria to provide leadership in integrated border management across Africa.
The review comes against the backdrop of the expiration of the 2019–2023 strategy, which adopted an integrated approach to border governance, placing the NIS at the centre of managing the movement of people across Nigeria’s borders while promoting cooperation with other agencies responsible for related aspects of border control.
The previous framework extended border management beyond physical crossing points to areas including visa administration, travel-document management, advance passenger information and migration management.
It also envisaged coordinated management across Nigeria’s land, air and sea borders, with relevant government agencies working together to strengthen border security and facilitate legitimate movement.
However, the new strategy is being developed amid a significantly changing operating environment characterised by evolving migration patterns, transnational organised crime and rapid advances in border-control technology.
According to the partners, the review process is designed to identify gaps in the implementation of the previous strategy and ensure that the new framework adequately responds to emerging migration and security challenges.
The process has also focused on migration data management, inter-agency information sharing, biometrics, digital border controls and other technological innovations.
The EU’s support for migration governance in Nigeria similarly includes assistance for updating and implementing the NBMS, strengthening migration-data management and coordination, and tackling trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling.
At the workshop, participants undertook strategic discussions and technical sessions before presenting and consolidating their findings.
The exercise culminated in an NIS Executive Management Endorsement Session, where recommendations were reviewed, interventions prioritised, financing options considered and the proposed strategic direction for 2027–2031 examined.
The emphasis on financing and implementation reflects the need to ensure that the new strategy is supported by adequate funding, personnel, technology and institutional coordination.
The NIS has in recent years expanded its technological and institutional capacity for border management. Its Border Management Directorate oversees land control posts and patrols, airport control and aerial patrols, seaport control and marine patrols, as well as other border services.
The Service also maintains dedicated directorates for migration, visa and residency, and information and communications technology and cybersecurity.
The NIS and IOM have described their partnership as important to efforts to modernise migration management and border governance in Nigeria. The collaboration has included technical support for institutional reforms, operational capacity building and policy development, as well as deployment of systems such as the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) and e-Border solutions.
The Federal Government has also continued to identify effective border control as a national security priority, with emphasis on strengthening border security through modern technology and improved institutional coordination.
The emerging challenge for the NIS and its partners is therefore to translate the outcome of the review into a practical strategy capable of closing the gap between policy and implementation, while securing Nigeria’s borders and facilitating orderly migration and legitimate cross-border movement.
The workshop is expected to provide the foundation for the next phase of the process, with the NIS and its partners working to consolidate the recommendations into the proposed 2027–2031 National Border Management Strategy and Action Plan.
The initiative underscores the Service’s continued collaboration with IOM, the EU and other stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s border management architecture and improve migration governance.
The effectiveness of the new strategy will ultimately depend on its ability to deliver an integrated, data-driven and adequately resourced border management system that balances national security with the facilitation of legitimate human mobility.
