Razaq Bamidele
The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede on Monday played host to the officials of the Gambia Immigration Department at the NIS Headquarters, Abuja.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Service Public Relation Officer of the Service, DCI Sunday James on behalf of the Comptroller General, where he stated that, the team was in Nigeria on study tour of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The Gambian team led by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Interior, Gambia, Moussier Assan Tangara and the Director General Gambia Immigration Department represented by the Commissioner Processing Ms. Olimatou Jammeh.
It was recalled that, the first crop of the Gambian Immigration Officers were trained at the Premier Immigration Training School, Kano, hence the long standing relationship through the years between the Immigration agency of the two Countries.
In his speech, the team leader and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Interior, Gambia Tangara described the NIS as a model within the continent, saying that, “as a government, he is in Nigeria to share common interest and appreciate the Reforms embarked upon by the Nigeria Immigration Service.”
In the same vein the representative of the Director General, Olimatou who read her address apologised for the inability of the Director General to attend physically attributing his absence to an unavoidable official engagement at home.
She, however, extended his good will to the NIS, noting the contribution of the Nigeria Immigration Service to the training of the first crop of Gambian Immigration officers, all of who have contributed immensely to the growth and development of the Gambia.
Ms. Olimatou said the study tour is symbolic and historic on the grounds of mutual and bilateral relationships between the two which necessitated reconsidering, revitalising the existing good relationship and especially as a leading service in the implementation of the modern migration management and the Integrated Border Management and Control in which Nigeria is the first country to implement and Operationailise it.
She added that they are looking forward to learning more about skills that will enhance the competence of the officers in areas like Border Management Information System, Cross-Border engagement strategies, border security and control among others.
In his response, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede thanked the visiting Gambian Immigration team for its choice of Nigeria in view of the recognised relationship that span years of fruitful growth and considering the fact that the present Gambian Director General of Immigration was a product of the Nigeria Immigration training many years ago.
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Babandede therefore assured the team of a very good stay in Nigeria during the study tour and advised the participants to stay focus and share ideas with their colleagues during the interactive sessions to benefit from each other’s wealth of experience and knowledge.
He thanked the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Gambia for sparing his valuable time to come on the tour with the team as a sign of support and value addition just as he advised that the Gambian team take time to discuss more freely with the Ministry of Interior, Nigeria on engaging with ECOWAS for the facilitation of such visit to other countries to avoid undue protocol across the border entry point.
The IOM team was appreciated for taking the initiative to facilitating the study tour.
Other participants on the study tour were, Assistant Inspector General of the Gambia Police Moussier Ebrima Bah, Abdou Jeng (Station Manager), Ms. Binta KJ Barrow, Ansumana Darboe, Karanlang Jarju, Samba Mballow, and also from Gambian IOM are Stephen Otienno Matete (Project Manager) , Pa Demba Jarju, Aminata Bah.
