On Tuesday, the Nigeria Immigration Service named its state-of-the-art Command and Control Centre after President Bola Tinubu.

NIS comptroller general Kemi Nandap announced this during the inauguration of the centre in Abuja. The complex, which is the first of its kind in Africa, is a multi-faceted facility comprising several critical components.

The facility has a command-and-control centre for regular migration, an NIS Data Centre, a Visa Approval Centre, and a 0.5KW solar power plant.

Ms Nandap said the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex (BATTIC) would ascertain the risk level of persons entering the country.

She said the facility would also detect irregular migration patterns and monitor unmanned borders in hard-to-reach areas nationwide.

She also said the inauguration of BATTIC was a significant step forward in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey and a bold step in modernising the country’s immigration infrastructure.

Speaking further, the NIS boss said the project would ensure the integrity and accountability of individuals entering Nigeria.

The NIS CG highlighted some of the key functions and capabilities of the facility, such as Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) Analysis.

She said this enabled the service to assess passengers’ risk levels even before arriving in Nigeria or departing from their country of origin.

Through the Identification of Suspicious Travel Patterns, she said the service could detect anomalies that may indicate potential security threats by analysing travel data.

“The complex will support real-time video surveillance to monitor unmanned border areas across the federation, ensuring a constant watch on border activities,” she said.

She added that through the Integrated Communication Platform, BATTIC would facilitate seamless communication across all levels—from border patrol units to border control posts, state commands, the service headquarters and the interior ministry.

In the same vein, she said that through cross-reference with national and international watchlists, data would be cross-checked against various national and global security databases, including INTERPOL, to ensure no security threats slip through the cracks.

The NIS boss commended President Tinubu for the reforms in the service and his support for the projects.

Ms Nandap said the centre had achieved certification with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and integrated with the International Air Transport Association (IATA). 

(NAN)