The federal government says it will deport 828 illegal immigrants in 2024 as part of its increased efforts to curb irregular migration and improve national security.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
Highlighting the government’s successes, the minister remarked, “In the last year, 137 victims of trafficking were intercepted, and in 2024 alone, 828 foreigners were repatriated by the Nigerian Immigration Service.”
As part of larger changes, the government took steps to modernize border operations and immigration procedures.
These include integrating Nigerian passports into the International Civil Aviation Organisation Public Key Directory, allowing seamless verification worldwide, and establishing a centralised Visa Approval Centre in Abuja to streamline visa processing.
To support these initiatives, an 8.3-petabyte data centre—the largest in Nigeria—has been constructed, and a solar-powered infrastructure was introduced to ensure uninterrupted operations.
A Command and Control Centre now provides real-time monitoring of all land and air entry points, boosting surveillance capabilities.
