Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo says the federal government is committed to implementing various reforms in the ministry and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

Mr Tunji-Ojo spoke to journalists in Lagos on Tuesday after a meeting with the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA),

The minister described the gathering as a “family meeting,” emphasising NECA’s role as a strategic partner.

Mr Tunji-Ojo acknowledged the critical contributions of the private sector to socio-economic development.

He said the meeting focused on reviewing strategies, enhancing government performance, promoting private sector growth, and making decisions that aligned with the interests of Nigerians and the economy.

“It is not just about CERPAC reforms alone; there were a lot of reforms in terms of CERPAC because it is our responsibility to make life easier for Nigerians and expatriates.

“We need a strategic partnership with NECA, affiliate organisations and other agencies; we need to cooperate to take decisions as a team,” he said.

He reassured Nigerians that the Ministry of Interior, in line with its citizenship business responsibilities, was actively collaborating.

The minister hinted that there was an agreement that this should not be a one-off meeting but a minimum of twice a year about their concerns, especially as it affected their businesses.

Mr Tunji-Ojo said reforms had to continue, noting that they were a work in progress.

According to him, a lot has been done concerning CERPAC, expatriate quotas, business permits, and many other things, including workflow in terms of border control and how it affects NIS.

In a remark, the director-general of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said that people said governance was complex and difficult, but ”when you have visionaries running the system, you realise that it is one of the simplest things to do.”

Mr Oyerinde said part of the things deliberated on was for stakeholders to engage constructively, adding that all stakeholders in the Nigerian projects commended the government for opening up the engagement channels.

He said the most beautiful part was the consensus that a committee would work together to review a few things.

(NAN)