Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and China’s National Immigration Administration have explored stronger technical cooperation, intelligence sharing and capacity building as part of efforts to combat irregular migration, document fraud and transnational organised crime.
The discussions took place during a bilateral meeting between the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, and officials of the National Immigration Administration of China 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, brought together more than 2,000 participants from 139 countries and organisations to deliberate on strengthening international cooperation in migration management and responding to emerging transnational challenges.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NIS Service Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration Akinsola Akinlabi, the bilateral meeting focused on issues of mutual interest and opportunities to deepen collaboration between the two institutions.
The statement said the proposed areas of cooperation included technical exchanges, information sharing and capacity-building initiatives, reflecting the growing need for coordinated responses to migration-related security threats.
The forum also featured country presentations on migration policy initiatives and efforts to strengthen cooperation among participating countries in tackling irregular migration and transnational organised crime.
Parallel sessions addressed smart digital services and administration for foreigners, as well as document verification, technology and intelligence sharing for secure borders.
The NIS participated in the session on advancing document verification, technology and intelligence sharing, where it contributed to a roundtable discussion on Nigeria’s role in combating document fraud and the falsification of records.
The Service highlighted its efforts to strengthen document verification and border security, areas considered critical to preventing identity-related crimes, facilitating legitimate travel and disrupting organised criminal networks.
The NIS said its participation reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening international partnerships, intelligence sharing and technical cooperation in pursuit of secure borders and effective migration management.
The forum provided an opportunity for participating countries and organisations to exchange experiences, examine emerging migration challenges and identify practical areas for closer institutional collaboration.