The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) might employ 25,000 new personnel in the next five years if the comment of the comptroller-general of the NIS, Martins Abeshi is anything to go by.
According to Abeshi, the NIS requires about 5,000 personnel annually for the next five years to meet its manpower capacity.
The NIS boss stated yesterday, November 26, in Abuja when the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, visited his office as part of his familiarisation tour of parastatals under his ministry, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Abeshi promised the new minister that he will ensure professionalism in the NIS in line with international best practices and President Muhammadu Buhari’s Change Agenda.
He disclosed that the Nigeria Immigration Service generated N19. 4 billion between January and October 2015, stating that N9, 788, 969,705 was generated from passports/operations, while N9, 676, 474, 587 was generated from the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien’s Card (CERPAC) within the period.
He also informed the minister that the CERPAC production centres had been increased to cover all states of the federation and the Onne Free Trade Zone in Rivers.
He however noted that in spite of the revenue generated, the service was facing a lot of challenges which included poor funding, needed for capital projects.
He said: “Over the years, the NIS has been contending with poor funding, especially for capital projects for construction of border control plazas/automation of control posts.
“Lack of modern communication equipment and security gadgets such as sensors and alarm systems and surveillance cameras to cover the flanks through which irregular migration occurs, is also a major challenge.’’
Speaking earlier, the minister had stated that the familiarisation tour was part of efforts by the federal government to reposition the NIS and other parastatals under the ministry.
He described the NIS as very strategic to internal security and encouraged officers and men to be more professional and diligent in the discharge of their duty.
Dambazau opined that adequate border security is required to check the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and the prevention of people with ulterior motives entering Nigeria.
It will be recalled that three weeks ago, the NIS boss directed that roadblocks across border areas in the country should be dismantled and removed.
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