NIS: Corruption Poses Existential Threat To National Security, Economic Development, Nigeria’s International Standing

By Bukar BOLORI

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap has identified corruption as a serious threat to national security, economic development, and Nigeria’s global reputation.

Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the inauguration ceremony of the NIS Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) Desk Officers for formations and commands across the country, Nandap noted that the fight against corruption is inseparable from effective border management.

The inauguration marks a major step toward deepening institutional integrity and accountability in NIS and underscored the Service’s resolve to embed ethical governance at all operational levels through a decentralized and preventive anti-corruption structure.

Speaking at the event, the Comptroller General described the deployment of ACTU Desk Officers as a strategic shift from a largely centralized and reactive approach to a grassroots-driven framework aimed at preventing misconduct and shaping organisational culture.

She emphasized that the Nigeria Immigration Service, as a key agency responsible for border governance and migration management, must uphold the highest standards of professionalism, transparency, and accountability.

She said: “Today marks a deliberate and consequential milestone in our collective resolve to strengthen institutional integrity, transparency, and operational excellence within the Nigeria Immigration Service. We are gathered not merely to inaugurate officers, but to entrench a proactive, grassroots framework for ethical governance through the deployment of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) Desk Officers across all formations of the Service.

“The Nigeria Immigration Service stands as a critical sentinel at our nation’s gateways. We are entrusted with the solemn responsibility of border governance and migration management. This trust confers significant authority and, with it, an uncompromising obligation to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and accountability.

“Corruption is not merely an administrative failing; it is an existential threat to national security, economic development, and Nigeria’s international standing. It erodes public confidence, weakens the rule of law, and creates avenues for transnational crime. Consequently, the fight against corruption is inseparable from our core mandate of effective border governance.”

She noted that: “While the Service has long maintained codes of conduct and disciplinary mechanisms, the establishment of ACTU Desks represents a strategic shift—from a largely centralized and reactive model to a decentralized, preventive, and culture-shaping framework. You, our newly inaugurated Desk Officers, constitute the foundation of this transformation.

“You are not mere additions to the establishment. You are ethical champions, standard-bearers, and first responders within your respective formations. Your selection was neither incidental nor symbolic; it followed a rigorous process that prioritised proven integrity, courage, and sound judgment. You now serve as accessible and trusted pillars for promoting transparency and addressing misconduct at its source.”

She stated that the ACTU Desk Officers will operate under three core mandates: enlightenment, deterrence, and enforcement.

Their duties include leading continuous sensitization on ethics and service regulations, providing confidential channels for reporting misconduct, and ensuring that proven cases of wrongdoing are addressed in line with extant laws and regulations.

They will also monitor compliance with transparency measures in key service areas such as passport administration, visa processing, border operations, and the auction of seized items.

The Comptroller General called on Command Comptrollers and Heads of Formations to provide full support to the Desk Officers, stressing that their role is to strengthen, not undermine, command authority.

She assured the officers of the full backing of the Service leadership, urging them to remain firm and fearless in the discharge of their duties despite possible resistance.

The inauguration, she noted, sends a clear signal of the Service’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption and its commitment to building a professional institution that commands public trust and international confidence.

In his speech, the Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu said: “Although the establishment of ACTUs in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) was initiated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCS), ACTUs have now evolved into a government-recognized anti-corruption platform. These Units function as internal mechanisms to identify and address systemic weaknesses while ensuring compliance with ethical standards across MDAs.”

Aliyu, who was represented by the Director of the Systems Study and Review Department, Mr. Olusegun Adigun, noted that aligned with the Service’s vision to be a modern, effective and efficient Immigration Service, manned by well trained and motivated workforce, the ACTU will serve as a strategic instrument to support the Service in achieving these objectives through its mandated duties.