Tunji-Ojo's visionary move: E-gates, Birth of New Era in Nigeria Immigration Process

Traveling can be fun for most of us, but we can get apprehensive when we know that clearing at the immigration office will be stressful and burdensome. Coming into the country has been a cause for concern over the years, with customs and immigration officers delaying passengers unnecessarily and using their usual slogan, "Oga, wetin you bring come?" to try to get passengers to part with some money. This became a source of concern and embarrassment to the NIS and the Ministry of Interior.


To curtail this ordeal, the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, introduced the e-gate system, which is obtainable in some more advanced countries of the world. E-gates are electronic gates that use biometric technology, facial recognition, fingerprints, and passport scans to verify the identity of travelers, facilitating their passage through border control.



On arrival, travelers have to pass through the gates, which involves biometric verification through facial or iris recognition, fingerprints, and passport scans. If the verification is successful, the gates open for the passage of the traveler; if it fails, the traveler is denied access. The e-gate system is part of a broader border control system, which also has a command and control center connected to it, where the process is being monitored by NIS officials.


The e-gate system, according to the Minister of Interior, is called "The Sweet Experience," and that is what the president Ahmed Bola Tinubu is bent on giving Nigerians. The e-gate system tends to increase efficiency due to the fact that it can process travelers faster than manual inspections. It also has increased security, as it uses biometrics to reduce the risk of impersonation, identity theft, and other security threats.


With the e-gate in place in our international airports, our economy will improve, as more people who were previously afraid to come into the country due to immigration concerns will come in, thanks to the increase in security, efficiency, reduction in wait time, and overall passenger experience. Our tourism industry will also get a boost, with more people being able to come into the country, not forgetting job creation in the e-gates system's development, implementation, and maintenance.


The idea of installing the e-gate system is a very good one, with a lots of benefits, from reduced wait time to increased efficiency, and not having to come into contact with immigration officials at the airport. 


The e-gate system has turned out to be one of the biggest wins of the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu-led administration, and kudos must also go to the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for starting such a laudable project.


Written by Enueme Benjamin O.

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