Nigeria is seeking to strengthen border security without restricting legitimate movement, trade and socio-cultural ties across West Africa, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nanna Nandap, has said.Nanna spoke at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the African Borderlands Research Network (ABORNE) in Lagos, themed: "Connected Borderlands, Socio-Cultural Integration and the Centrality of Policy, Research and Security."
She said changing migration patterns, regional integration, cross-border trade and emerging security threats required a new approach to border management.
Nandap said African borders should be seen not merely as geographical lines separating states but as dynamic spaces where communities, cultures and economies remain connected.
"Our collective responsibility is to ensure that these spaces remain secure while facilitating lawful mobility, strengthening regional cooperation and preserving the socio-cultural and economic relationships that are fundamental to the vitality and stability of border communities," she said.
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She said traditional measures such as physical patrols and document inspection were no longer sufficient to address human trafficking, migrant smuggling, identity fraud, organised crime, terrorism and cyber-enabled threats.
According to her, the NIS is responding through technology, intelligence and stronger inter-agency cooperation.
Nandap recalled that Nigeria became the first African country to introduce the electronic passport in 2007 and had since deployed enhanced e-passports, biometric verification, automated passport services and centralised passport personalisation.
She also cited automated border-control systems, including e-gates at international airports, as part of efforts to make passenger processing faster and more secure.
"The border of the future will be more digital, more biometric and intelligence-led, but must also remain human-centred," she said.
The Immigration boss stressed that technology could not replace the professionalism, experience and judgment of officers, while urging greater involvement of border communities in security and governance.
She described border residents as strategic partners whose knowledge of their environment could support intelligence gathering, early warning and conflict prevention.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo represented by Dr Kareem Olakuju, said Nigeria's border reforms reflected the government's commitment to protecting national security while facilitating legitimate trade and regional mobility.
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Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule Akibu, said African integration required more than government action, urging universities to produce research and human capacity to address migration, border security and regional integration.
The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof. Ibiyemi Bello, said the university's partnership with the NIS demonstrated the importance of linking research, policy and operational practice in border governance.
Emeritus Prof. Anthony Asiwaju, former Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Lagos and former member of the National Boundary Commission, said African borderlands should be understood as spaces of interaction, exchange, identity and contestation rather than merely territorial boundaries.
The conference brought together scholars, policymakers, security practitioners and development partners to explore practical approaches to strengthening border security while promoting regional integration and legitimate cross-border movement.
