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JAPAN has, from its 2015 Supplementary Budget, allocated US$ 910 000 (N181,1 million) to support Nigeria enhancing its migration management and border control capacity.
The one-year project, which will run through February 2017, is designed to combat terrorism and other transnational crimes by enhancing land border controls through the installation of International Office of Migration (IOM) Migrant Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) at four Nigerian border crossing points.
IOM will use the Japanese funding to continue to work with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to ensure that the country’s land borders are better managed and that legitimate travel is facilitated. It will allow the NIS to check travellers against national and international watch-lists, as well as identify and register foreign nationals.
IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission Enira Krdzalic said the organisation had been supporting the activities of NIS in border management and control through an innovative and results-based strategy.
“With this funding, we will expand MIDAS to four land border crossing points not previously covered, bringing the total to nine, thereby contributing to reducing the incidence of irregular migration to and from Nigeria.”
Nigeria faces security threats from terrorists and international organized crime groups engaged in smuggling and trafficking. While airport controls provide some measure of security, significant gaps exist at land borders.
