By Tayo Williams
In a universe that has not always made space for women, Mrs. Kemi Nana Nandap, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, has boldly taken up a prominent space for herself by excelling in an era and sector where everyone seems to understate the role and worth of a driven woman.
Nandap’s story evokes brilliant manifestations of zeal and determination because, in the course of her professional trajectory, she had been thrown into the deep end of the ocean and told to swim and, through sheer will, she safely got to shore. She had also been put in the night sky and told to shine and the halo she emitted literally illuminated the universe.
Without a doubt, Nandap is one of those rare people who see a vision and immediately understand its power by summoning all their energy, courage, conviction, and drive to make a difference, break glass ceilings, and show that greatness can come from an unlikely place. And she is doing so, and much more, with guts and gusto while redefining what is possible for women in public service.
Yet, she has been at the helm of the NIS for only a year. Interestingly, her appointment was not a cosmic roll of the dice. It was borne out of a firm and proven conviction that Nandap, born on June 3, 1966, in Zaria, Kaduna State, possesses the ingenuity, mojo, experience, and expertise to achieve President Bola Tinubu’s agenda for the immigration ecosystem.
Nigeria has a porous border problem, which threatens her territorial integrity in no small measure. Over the past decade, unbridled movements from neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad, and Cameroun among others have significantly contributed to the rise in terrorism, banditry, smuggling, and organised crime especially in the North. The president is an unabashed advocate of free movement in Africa for the advancement of trade and integration, but not when it comes at the expense of national security.
Thus, there was an urgent need for innovation and reform in immigration management, which left no room for the president to dither or pander to bureaucratic or political sentiments. He reckoned that the prospective candidate must be one that could help to deepen the ongoing reforms in the service, create a robust mechanism for efficient and dedicated service delivery to Nigerians, and strengthen Nigeria’s security through proactive and effective border security and migration management.
Being a renowned and accustomed talent spotter, President Tinubu zeroed in on Nandap to succeed Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, who had reached the statutory retirement age. Until February 2024 when the president announced her appointment, Nandap was the Deputy Comptroller-General overseeing the Migration Directorate and had spent over three decades in the NIS serving in various strategic commands.
It was a pressure cooker job crucial to Nigeria’s safety and would task the most intrepid individual, but Nandap is no wimp or shrinking violet. In less than one year in office, the Biochemistry graduate of the University of Ilorin is lending credence to what the world already knows about President Tinubu as a man who spots goldmines where many see landmines while steadily rejuvenating and repositioning the service.
Upon her appointment, the new CG affirmed her resolve to strengthen policies aimed at preventing irregular migration and safeguarding the lives of citizens while highlighting the importance of fostering positive bilateral relations and tightening border security to enhance national security.
“Our focus will be on fostering unity, driving growth, and advancing development. We are steadfast in our resolve to strengthen policies to prevent irregular migration, safeguard the lives of our citizens, and foster positive bilateral relations. We will tighten our border and security will be a key objective to reduce the porosity of our borders and enhance the overall national security of our nation because a safe border is a safe nation,” CG Nandap stated.
A few months into her stewardship, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the supervising minister of the NIS, said significant progress had been made in border security, specifically mentioning the completion of the first phase of the e-border solution, which covers 40 percent of Nigeria’s borders. He added that new vehicles and e-gates were also deployed to ensure effective border control critical to maintaining a secure nation.
Nandap’s administration has introduced e-response channels for faster, seamless, and real-time engagements with Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora while strengthening international partnerships, adopting cutting-edge technologies, and enhancing operational capacity in border security and migration management.
Under her stewardship, 137 human trafficking victims were rescued while 42 migrant smuggling operations were disrupted. Recently, a series of coordinated operations across three states resulted in the arrest of 155 foreigners for cybercrimes and unauthorised entry into the country. They have since been deported to their various countries in alignment with the government’s efforts to improve border security and protect citizens from illegal activities. Nandap’s catalogue of achievements includes the clearing of over 200, 000 passports backlog and the successful conclusion of the Modernising the Nigeria Immigration Service Workforce (MoNIS) project, which is supported by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the Government of Denmark.
She said introducing these policies underscores the NIS’s commitment to strengthening its workforce, ensuring equitable career advancement, and fostering an inclusive environment for all officers. By addressing critical issues such as professional development and gender equality, the NIS, she added, aims to enhance operational efficiency, promote diversity, and better serve the nation.
Within the year under review, Nandap’s leadership acumen was acknowledged on the continent with her emergence as the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Heads of Immigration. Though it is still early in the day to start counting the gains of Nandap’s reforms and leadership, there is a consensus that Nigeria now has a more efficient and competent electronic border security architecture to secure the country effectively.
Tayo Williams is a Lagos-based media executive.
