The Federal Government has deported 828 illegal immigrants in 2024 as part of its efforts to tackle irregular migration and strengthen national security.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Olu, revealed this during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, where she highlighted the achievements of the Nigerian Immigration Service.
“In the last one year, 137 victims of human trafficking were rescued, and in 2024 alone, 828 undocumented migrants were deported,” the minister stated.
The government has also introduced major reforms to modernize immigration and border management systems.
Key initiatives include integrating Nigerian passports into the International Civil Aviation Organisation Public Key Directory for seamless global verification and establishing a centralized Visa Approval Centre in Abuja to simplify visa processing.
In addition, the NIS constructed Nigeria’s largest 8.3-petabyte data center, equipped with solar-powered infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted operations. A new command and control center now monitors land and air entry points in real-time, significantly improving border surveillance.
Tunji-Olu also commended the NIS for clearing a backlog of 200,000 passport applications within three weeks in 2023 and issuing over 1.8 million passports in 2024.
