TheCable

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, says the installation of the electronic gates (e-gate) in Nigerian airports will be completed soon.

The minister made the promise on Monday while inspecting the ongoing installation of an e-gate at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

The technology is a scanner that is equipped with all the modern facilities required to scan passengers who just came into the country via the airports easily and faster without the usual delay.

Tunji-Ojo said the era of unnecessary delay of returning passengers due to manual scanning by immigration officers would be a thing of the past by the time the project comes to fruition.

“So, I came to inspect the e-gate project that is ongoing and I am happy with the progress of work being done so far; eight e-gates are to be installed at the Abuja airport,” he said.

“But I told them that eight will not be acceptable by me; and that they have to increase it by two to make it 10.

“So far, they have succeeded in installing some and from the assurances given by the contractor, the remaining ones will be delivered before the end of the month, to make it 10 in all.

“You know the more the e-gate, then the easier it will be for passengers to be cleared and looking at the one that had been tested; I learnt that it is about 30 seconds to clear an individual.

“This I believe is a record time anywhere in the world; and having looked at the solutions and the hardware, is unarguably one of the best.’’

Tunji-Ojo expressed confidence that when the project is completed, Nigerians would no longer be at the mercy of NIS officers, or anybody when they arrive in Nigeria.

He said for the country to also add another layer to its national security architecture, it should be able to have about two or three licence verifications.

This, the minister, said would enable the appropriate authority to easily flag anyone or a passenger who happens to be a person of interest or on the watch list.

“By the time the project comes to fruition, it will be a new story and will be another milestone in the annals of the country and NIS,” the minister said.

“The project is not just in Abuja; we are looking at delivering about 16 in Lagos, 8 in the D-WING and 8 in the E-WING.

“As well as one in the private wing in Lagos to make it 17 in total; about five in Kano, four in Enugu and four in Port Harcourt.”

Tunji-Ojo said people must not come through Abuja for them to enjoy the services, adding that those returning from foreign countries will soon begin to enjoy their arrivals at the nation’s airports with the introduction of the e-gates.