The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, MFR, has received the officials of the Gambia Immigration Department at the NIS Headquarters, Abuja.
The team was led by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Interior, Gambia, Moussier Assan Tangara and the Director General Gambia Immigration Department represented by the Commissioner Processing Ms Olimatou Jammeh.
Other include Assistant Inspector General of the Gambia Police Moussier Ebrima Bah, others include Abdou Jeng(Station Manager), Ms Binta KJ Barrow, Ansumana Darboe, Karanlang Jarju, and Samba Mballow.
The delegation also included officials of the Gambian International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Stephen Otienno Matete (Project Manager) and Pa Demba Jarju, Aminata Bah.
They are in Nigeria on study tour of the NIS. The first crop of the Gambian immigration officers were trained at the Premier Immigration Training School, Kano.
This compliments the long standing relationship over the years between the immigration agencies of the two countries.
Speaking, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Interior, Gambia Tangara said the NIS was a model within the continent adding that he was around to share common interest and appreciate the reforms embarked upon by the NIS.
Representative of the Director General of Gambian Immigration, Olimatou apologised for the absent of her boss due to unavoidable official engagement.
While extending the DG good will, she acknowledged the contributions of the NIS to the training of the first crop of Gambian immigration officers that had contributed immensely to the growth and development of the country.
Ms Olimatou said the tour was symbolic and historic because of the bilateral relationships between the two nations.
She noted that the NIS was the first to implement modern migration management and the Integrated Border Management and Control.
According to her, the Gambian team was around to learn more about skills that would enhance the competence of the officers in border management information system, cross-border engagement strategies, border security and control among others.
Babandede MFR thanked the visiting team and noted years of fruitful relationship between the nations.
He said the Gambian DG Immigration was a product of the NIS training.
The CGI assured the team of a good stay in Nigeria during the study tour and advised the participants to stay focus and share ideas with their colleagues during the interactive.
Babandede advised them to relate freely with the Ministry of Interior, Nigeria on engaging with ECOWAS for the facilitation of such visit to other countries in order to avoid undue protocol across the border.
The IOM team were appreciated for taking the initiative to facilitate the tour.
