Nigeria has begun the installation of biometric clearance gates in all the country’s international airports.
It will aid the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and reduce travellers’ clearance to some 30 seconds.
Making the disclosure, the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, spoke on Monday in Abuja, during a tour of the new biometric equipment installed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the Command and Control Centre at the NIS headquarters.
He said the facilities would enhance effective and efficient management of international passengers through the country’s airports.
Tunji-ojo said the biometric gates had the capacity of screening and clearing one passenger within 30 seconds without making human contact with Immigration officers.
According to him, Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Kano, Abuja and Enugu in March would be equipped with the facilities.
Lagos is programmed to host 17 gates, and 10 gates for Abuja.
Port Harcourt and Kano will have five each with Enugu hosting four.
Tunji-Ojo said: “The facilities are about 70 percent ready. This means our border control management system is on track. It also means that the Nigeria Immigration Service is ready to contribute its quota to the National Security Architecture.
“The efficiency of the services provided by the NIS determines whatever we see in our security outlook as a nation. All these are being done in line with global best practices and standards and in consonance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to provide quality services to Nigerians.
“We have decided that the more the gates at the airports, the easier it would be for passengers to be cleared. And looking at the ones that have been tested, it takes about 30 seconds for a passenger to clear. So, I look at the solutions and the hardware, and I think they are a top-notch.”
