By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
AT THE Border Security Summit in London, Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, stressed the importance of increased collaboration and data sharing among countries in the Sahel and West African regions to address border security challenges.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, which gathered global leaders to address organised immigration crimes (OIC), Tunji-Ojo highlighted the interconnected nature of these issues.
“There is a need for collaboration within the Sahel and West African sub-regions for better international partnerships and information dissemination,” he stated. “We must focus on proactively preventing problems, not just reacting to them.”
The minister stressed that irregular migration, human trafficking, and transnational crimes are not isolated to one country but are shared concerns requiring collaborative solutions.
“All countries face organised immigration crimes. It’s a problem we must solve together,” he said, noting that Nigeria, as both a transit and destination point, has made significant strides in improving its own border control measures.
“Nigeria has developed automated systems to secure its borders, addressing irregular migration and border-related crimes effectively,” Tunji-Ojo added.
“We are committed to working with international partners to strengthen immigration policies and combat crimes such as human trafficking, smuggling, and fraud.”
The summit, which saw over 30 leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, engage in discussions, provided a crucial platform for fostering international cooperation.
Tunji-Ojo described the event as a pivotal opportunity to focus on proactive measures, aligning with Nigeria’s vision of leveraging technology and global partnerships to combat illegal immigration.
He also reassured world leaders that Nigeria remains committed to securing its borders and addressing organised immigration crimes as a priority, vowing to continue strengthening the country’s immigration policies and international partnerships.
