The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and China’s National Immigration Administration have agreed to deepen cooperation in technical capacity building, intelligence sharing and border security as both countries seek stronger measures against irregular migration, document fraud and transnational organised crime.
The agreement emerged from a bilateral meeting between the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, and officials of China’s National Immigration Administration on September 9, on the sidelines of the Sub-Forum on Migration Management Cooperation in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province.
The international forum, held from September 8 to 11, attracted more than 2,000 participants from 139 countries and organisations to deliberate on international cooperation in migration management and responses to emerging transnational security challenges.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NIS Service Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration Akinsola Akinlabi, said the bilateral discussions centred on issues of mutual interest and opportunities to strengthen institutional collaboration.
The proposed areas of cooperation include technical exchanges, intelligence and information sharing, as well as capacity-building initiatives aimed at enhancing the ability of both immigration authorities to respond to increasingly complex migration and security threats.
The forum also featured country presentations on migration policies and initiatives, with participating countries examining strategies for tackling irregular migration and transnational organised crime through stronger international cooperation.
Discussions at parallel sessions focused on smart digital services and administration for foreigners, document verification, technology deployment and intelligence sharing to enhance border security.
The NIS participated in a session on advancing document verification, technology and intelligence sharing, where it contributed to a roundtable examining Nigeria’s efforts to combat document fraud and falsification of records.
The Service highlighted ongoing efforts to improve document verification and border control, describing the measures as essential to preventing identity-related crimes, facilitating legitimate international travel and disrupting criminal networks operating across borders.
NIS said its participation in the forum underscored Nigeria’s commitment to expanding international partnerships, intelligence cooperation and technical collaboration in pursuit of secure borders and effective migration management.
The engagement with Chinese immigration authorities is expected to provide a platform for both institutions to exchange operational experience, strengthen technical capabilities and develop more coordinated responses to emerging threats associated with irregular migration and cross-border crime.
The Lianyungang forum further provided participating countries and international organisations with an opportunity to share experiences, assess emerging migration challenges and identify practical areas for sustained institutional cooperation.
