Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has reaffirmed the strategic significance of effective Border Governance for Nigeria’s security and migration framework.
Tunji-Ojo made this known through the Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister, Dr Kareem Olakoju while declaring open the 2026 Annual Conference of the African Borderlands Research Network (ABORNE) in Lagos, which was hosted by the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, in conjunction with Lagos State University, LASU.
He also reinforced the need for enhanced institutional partnerships to address the complex challenges of security, movement, and development in Africa’s borderlands
The four day conference which commenced from the 24th August, 2026, has as its theme, “The Connected Borderlands, Socio-Cultural Integration, and the Centrality of Policy, Research, and Security,”
It is expected to highlight the importance of integrating research, policy, technology, and security to foster safer and more connected African borderlands.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, while delivering her welcome address at the opening ceremony reflected on Nigeria’s leadership in border modernization, from pioneering the continent’s first electronic passport in 2007 to rolling out enhanced e-Passports, contactless biometric passport services, and Automated Border Control.
Nandap noted that borders are not merely lines separating countries but dynamic spaces where people, communities, economies, and cultures connect.
She reaffirmed that Nigeria’s strategy also prioritizes intelligence sharing, cybersecurity, surveillance and command and control capabilities, capacity building, and research as key to building safe, connected, and resilient borderlands.
The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Professor Folashade Tolulope Ogunsola, in her remarks, emphasized on the University’s commitment to producing research that responds to Africa’s border realities.
She highlighted the importance of viewing borderlands as living spaces of interaction, identity, mobility and exchange, stressing that effective border governance requires the integration of research, practice and policy.
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Commissioner of Tertiary Education, Hon. Tolani Sule Akibu, emphasized the importance of Lagos as host of the continental forum.
He stressed the State Government’s commitment to supporting platforms that drive research, strengthen regional cooperation, and provide practical solutions to border and migration challenges in Africa.
On their Part, Prof. Paul Nugent, Chairman of the ABORNE Chiefs, and Prof. Anthony Asiwaju, a distinguished border scholar, underscored the importance of linking research, policy, and practice in advancing understanding and governance of Africa’s borderlands.
While Prof. Nugent highlighted the need for evidence-based approaches to border governance and regional cooperation, Prof. Asiwaju, in his keynote address titled “20 Years After CIUDAD JUAREZ: ABORNE Ship Berths in Lagos,” reflected on the evolution of African border studies and emphasised the significance of Hosting ABORNE to Lagos.
The four-day conference will focused on policy, migration, smart borders, digital identity, regional integration, and cross-border security, while reaffirming the Nigeria Immigration Service’s commitment to promoting secure, connected, and resilient Border Management.
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