The National Association of Retired Immigration Officers, NARIO, has rejected calls for the creation of a separate Border Guard agency in Nigeria, arguing that the Federal Government should instead strengthen the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, with better funding, equipment and improved welfare for its personnel.
NARIO President and retired Comptroller, Dr Charles Okafor, made the call during the association’s maiden Annual General Meeting in Abuja, where discussions focused on strengthening the institutional capacity of the Immigration Service amid Nigeria’s continuing border security challenges.
Okafor argued that the push for additional border security organisations partly stems from what he described as a misunderstanding of the NIS mandate.
According to him, many Nigerians see the Immigration Service primarily as the agency responsible for issuing passports, though its responsibilities extend far beyond that.
Officially, the NIS is responsible for controlling people entering or leaving Nigeria, issuing travel documents and residence permits, conducting border surveillance and patrol, and enforcing immigration laws. Its stated mission also places border security and migration management at the centre of its responsibilities.
Okafor said creating additional institutions may not resolve Nigeria’s border security problems if the existing Immigration Service remains underfunded.
He called for closer examination of the resources available to immigration personnel, their working conditions and the operational challenges confronting officers deployed to Nigeria’s borders.
“Some people have even called for the establishment of border guards, but no questions are being asked as to how much NIS is funded. Why is NIS not optimally effective and efficient, and what is the welfare of NIS officers?” he said.
He maintained that strengthening established institutions should take priority over creating overlapping security structures.
The NIS already operates a dedicated Border Management Directorate covering land control posts and patrols, airports, seaports and other border services.
Beyond operational funding, NARIO also used the meeting to highlight the welfare of serving and retired immigration officers.
Okafor said officers had lost their lives while carrying out border security responsibilities but argued that their sacrifices often received less public attention than those of personnel in some other security agencies.
He called for improved protection and benefits for officers who suffer injury, death or other occupational misfortunes in the course of duty.
The association also expressed concern over the treatment of retired immigration personnel and urged the NIS, its board and the Ministry of Interior to review retirement conditions.
NARIO said retired officers should receive adequate pensions, allowances and other benefits in recognition of their years of service.
Responding to the concerns, Comptroller-General of Immigration Kemi Nanna Nandap, represented at the meeting by Assistant Comptroller-General Jika Ogbeche, said the welfare of retired officers remained a priority.
Nandap currently heads the NIS, whose official organisational profile identifies border security and migration management as key areas of responsibility.
She said the Deputy Comptroller-General responsible for Finance and Accounts had been directed to compile a list of outstanding liabilities involving retirees.
The outstanding obligations include death benefits, repatriation allowances, pensions and other entitlements.
“I feel your pain. I hear your concerns. I understand the burden,” she told the retirees through her representative, assuring them that the issues would receive attention.
Nandap also described retired immigration officers as the “institutional memory” of the Service and said their experience could continue to support decision-making.
She announced plans for an Immigration Resource Center to provide a formal platform for retired officers to contribute their knowledge and expertise to the Service’s development.
Nigeria’s borders are central to national security, migration management, trade and efforts to combat transnational crime.
That makes the debate over how border security should be organised important beyond the Immigration Service itself.
Supporters of creating new security structures may argue that Nigeria’s border challenges require greater specialised capacity. NARIO’s position, however, is that establishing another agency could duplicate existing responsibilities when the government could instead invest more heavily in the NIS.
The effectiveness of either approach would ultimately depend on resources, personnel, technology, coordination and accountability.
For Nigerians, the larger issue is ensuring that the country’s borders are effectively monitored, public funds are used efficiently, and security responsibilities remain clearly defined.
NARIO, which was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in October 2022, says it intends to continue advocating for its members’ welfare while serving as an advisory body on migration management and national security.
