FG says Nigeria’s e-border project is 60% completed 

The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja shortly after inspecting the e-border management centre as well as the Command and Control Centre for the electronic gates at the airports. 

According to him, while the e-border project is almost completed, the e-Gates Command and Control Centre is now 100% completed and awaiting commissioning by President Bola Tinubu.  

Speaking with journalists after the inspection, the Minister said the e-border solution is not just for air borders or airports but also for land borders that are known to be more porous.   

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N52 billion to purchase the e-border surveillance systems for the country in 2019. The project was part of efforts to ensure effective monitoring of the nation’s borders through technology.  

Once fully implemented, the system is expected to monitor and provide real-time information from major border posts in the country.  

However, the project did not start until 2022. Announcing the commencement of the project by the second quarter (Q2) of 2022, the then Acting Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Alhaji Isah Idris, said the government had already signed an agreement with a Chinese Company for the installation of surveillance cameras across 84 border locations of the country.  

Since then, the project has dragged on as the Interior Ministry blamed the lack of funds for the delay in the implementation.