The federal government has announced that it now has the capability to identify and track foreigners who overstay their visas in Nigeria.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior disclosed this in Abuja during the 2026 sectoral performance review retreat of the federal ministry of interior.
He said the government now possesses detailed records of individuals who entered Nigeria over the past decade, enabling authorities to determine those who failed to comply with visa regulations.
He said, “In NIS, I know we are doing a lot already. As of today, we have been able to build our integrated operations centre and the network operations centre, which we never hadbefore.
“With that, we can access, in the last 10 years, everybody who has entered, where you came from, everything, we have all your records, we have everything, we know the exact people who have overstayed in our country, and we will go after them, with due respect, because, outside of Nigeria, they go after the irregular immigrants and we think we have to protect the sanctity of our borders.”
According to him, the development followed the establishment of an Integrated Operations Centre and a Network Operations Centre by the Nigeria Immigration Service, which now provides access to data on travellers entering the country.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the system allows immigration authorities to track visitors’ entry records, origin, and duration of stay, making it easier to identify those who remain in Nigeria beyond the validity of their visas.
He noted that enforcement measures would soon begin against foreigners found to have violated visa conditions, stressing that similar actions are taken in many countries against irregular migrants.
The minister also called for reforms across agencies under the ministry, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to ensure transparent and corruption-free service delivery.
Tunji-Ojo said government institutions must focus on protecting citizens, especially vulnerable members of society, while ensuring equal access to services regardless of social status.
The Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary of the ministry stressed the need for accountability in leadership, noting that agencies under the ministry play critical roles that directly affect the daily lives of Nigerians.