President Bola Tinubu has approved an additional 18 months in office for the heads of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
Politics Nigeria reports that the extension will allow Comptroller-General of Immigration Kemi Nanna Nandap and Controller-General of Corrections Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche to remain in office until June 30, 2028, and May 26, 2028, respectively.
The approval followed a recommendation by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to address a succession gap in both services and give their respective boards sufficient time to appoint successors.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu commended the two service chiefs for the reforms recorded under their leadership.
The president also charged them to consolidate the gains made so far and sustain improvements in the operations of their respective agencies.
Tinubu nominated Nandap as Comptroller-General of the NIS on February 21, 2024. The Senate confirmed her appointment on March 1, 2024.
Nwakuche was nominated to lead the NCoS in December 2024, while the Senate confirmed his appointment in March 2025.
The tenure extension comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to modernise immigration management, strengthen border security and improve coordination among agencies under the Ministry of Interior.
Last Friday, the government announced the deployment of artificial intelligence-assisted tools and digital audit trails across the NIS to strengthen border surveillance and monitor officers’ activities in real time.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of specialised training on the Border Control and Immigration Management System, Nandap said the technology would help detect suspicious migration patterns, eliminate disconnected databases and strengthen accountability within the service.
She explained that the system would allow authorities to review officers’ activities and hold personnel responsible for their actions.
“Your access to this system is a position of trust, not a personal privilege. Every action you take in this system can be reviewed. Work as though it will be,” the comptroller-general said.
Nandap disclosed that integrating the Border Control and Immigration Management System with the Migration Information and Data Analysis System had brought together more than 15 million migration records.
She said the integration would give authorised officers access to more coordinated information on identities, movements and potential security risks.
The service is also deploying secure mobile devices to extend verification activities beyond fixed terminals. Nandap, however, warned that officers must maintain confidentiality and security standards when using the devices.
She added that artificial intelligence tools would flag suspicious patterns for further examination rather than make final decisions independently.
The comptroller-general identified accuracy, integrity, judgement, readiness and accountability as essential standards for the 87 officers who completed the specialised training.
She said the success of the reforms would be assessed through improvements in record accuracy, consistent verification checks, prompt responses to alerts, reliable system availability and the lawful treatment of travellers.
Also speaking at the programme, Tunji-Ojo said the government had developed a 10-year technology roadmap and established a data centre with a capacity exceeding eight petabytes. He added that a solar farm had been installed to enable the data control centre to operate off-grid.
The minister said the wider Centralised Interior Management System was designed to integrate relevant information platforms across the ministry, including those used by correctional and fire services, while improving coordination with identity management institutions.
He argued that managing migration in a country with more than 200 million people through analogue processes was no longer sustainable.
Tunji-Ojo also questioned official records that reportedly put the number of foreign nationals working in Nigeria at about 40,000, saying the figure highlighted the need for more comprehensive data and stronger coordination among government agencies.
“When you do not have the data of those foreigners residing in your country, then how do you manage their affairs? And how do you monitor them?” he asked.
The minister cited the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States as a warning about the security risks posed by disconnected information systems and intelligence failures.
He said the Tinubu administration was working to address such weaknesses before they resulted in a major security breach.