President Bola Tinubu has called for peace and unity among Nigerians, emphasising that despite differences in political beliefs, the country remains one entity.
He made this statement during the commissioning of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex at the Nigeria Immigration Service headquarters in Sauka, Abuja, on Tuesday.
President Tinubu likened Nigeria to a single building with many rooms, asserting that Nigerians are united regardless of their diverse political affiliations.
Speaking at the event, Interior Minister Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo revealed that the idea of the Technology Innovation Complex, which houses the NIS Command and Control Centre, was conceived 18 years ago. However, he explained that interagency rivalry and a lack of political will had stalled its realisation.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo SAN, also spoke, noting that upon assuming office, he and Dr. Tunji-Ojo resolved to overcome past interagency conflicts and deliver a world-class facility for the nation’s benefit.
The Comptroller General of the Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, outlined that BATTIC is more than just a building—it represents a significant step toward modernising immigration infrastructure.
The complex will enhance the NIS’s efforts to secure national borders, manage migration, and bolster national security. It has achieved certification from the International Civil Aviation Organization and is integrated with the International Air Transport Association, ensuring the verification and accountability of all individuals entering Nigeria.
“The complex is a multi-faceted facility with vital components, including the Command-and-Control Centre for Regular Migration, the NIS Data Centre and Visa Approval Centre, the Interior Data Centre, the Passport Personalization Centre, the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card Centre, and a 0.5KW Solar Farm,” CGIS Nandap explained. “Each component is designed to international standards, positioning Nigeria as a leader in migration data management.”
She emphasised the complex’s advanced functions, such as Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record analysis, which will allow the assessment of passenger risk levels before arrival in Nigeria.
The facility can identify suspicious travel patterns, provide 24/7 surveillance for unmanned border areas, and offer integrated communication across all NIS levels and the Ministry of Interior. Additionally, cross-referencing with national and global security watchlists, including INTERPOL, will bolster national security.
President Tinubu, in his keynote speech, expressed pride in the project, saying, “The integration of security, whether air, land or sea, is a fulfillment of a dream. From the beginning of our administration, you promised to deliver and execute innovative solutions across the government, including the NIS.”
He commended Dr. Tunji-Ojo for the ministry’s accomplishments, particularly in enhancing Nigeria’s international reputation through improvements in passport services.
He added, “Our visa approval centre will provide a one-stop shop for visa applications. What more? Nigerians and visitors can travel with ease, engage in business partnerships with ease, and live honestly with one another. The world is getting smaller with ICT, and the house is just a house for all of us. We hear political cracks here and there, but we are one family, living in the same house but staying in different rooms.”
The president urged the centre to serve as a sustained communication hub, linking agencies with a trusted information network. He expressed pride in the leaders involved in the project, adding, “This is a major milestone that will benefit the ease of entry and exit for Nigerians.”
Interior Minister Tunji-Ojo outlined the broader impact of the project, saying that BATTIC is a collaborative hub that allows various ministry agencies to share data in real-time, thus harmonising efforts to respond to security and immigration challenges.
“We realized that different agencies were spending billions annually with limited coordination, so we established a central point to optimise our resources,” he said.
The complex, with a capacity of 8.3 petabytes, ranks among the largest data storage systems globally.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the facility is not just for immigration but also benefits other areas such as border management.
“We monitor over 200 border posts, covering more than 5km in and out, with real-time entry and exit information. We can now provide security agencies with the necessary data to respond quickly to emergencies,” he stated.
He also highlighted the ECOWAS ID Card project, which aims to provide affordable travel documents to individuals who may not be able to afford traditional passports.
Additionally, the automated visa service now ensures processing within 48 hours, a significant improvement from the discretionary visa regime of the past.
Tunji-Ojo mentioned the Correctional Information Management System as another asset, which has proven its effectiveness, especially during security incidents like jailbreaks and natural disasters.
Keyamo noted the project’s significance as a result of collaboration between the Interior and Aviation ministries. He recalled that previous administrations had struggled with inter-ministerial friction regarding who should lead such initiatives. “When we came into office, we made it a priority to overcome that divide and complete this project for the benefit of the nation,” he said.
According to the International Air Transport Association, Nigeria is one of only seven African countries to have such a system in place, underscoring the importance of BATTIC in modernising the country’s security and migration management capabilities.
