Adebusuyi Adeniran, a professor of Migration and Development Sociology at the Obafemi Awolowo University, has called for rebranding the Nigeria Immigration Service to achieve a better structure and responsibilities.
Mr Adeniran stated this while delivering the 407th inaugural lecture on Tuesday. He explained that one of the needed reforms is enhancing the functionality of the NIS as the flagship for border security and migration management.
According to him, immigration data management represents just an aspect of NIS, and the department should take charge of border security, emigration, policy projection and implementation, advisory service, among other statutory responsibilities.
He urged the government to include migration in the school curriculum from primary to tertiary institutions.
He said that the industry-level regulations were essential in migration management, noting that the capacity to earn from both cross-border and transnational migrations could be maximised.
“Cross-border and Transnational Migration should be transformed into an industry. With the capacity of earnings from both cross-border and transnational migrations to contribute impact fully to the gross national income.
“Gross domestic product of the countries of low-income/middle-income countries, essential industry-level regulations are essential in migration management. Countries like Sri Lanka and the Philippines have successfully ingrained management of emigration of its citizens into its development plans,” Mr Adeniran stated.
He called for the restructuring of the NIS name in line with its constitutionally assigned tasks to the Nigerian Migration and Border Service or Nigeria Migration and Border Security.
He asked the government to ensure that mainstreaming migration-related agencies aligned with the NIS operations.
“A major challenge on the path of efficient and safe migration management in Nigeria has been undue proliferation of ministries, departments, and agencies whose functions are not only overlapping, but often unexplainable,” Adeniran stated.
According to him, there is no nation that handles its challenges of economic migration with levity.
He stressed that the lack of socio-economic opportunities often leads to unstructured migration, which routinely transitions into economic migration at various points of destination.
He condemned countries like Canada, the UK, and the United Arab Emirates for repeatedly changing their skilled immigrant work visa rules specifically for Nigerians.
Mr Adediran appealed to the government to prioritise the establishment of migration clinics for migrants across all 774 local government areas with basic responsibilities of enlightening, counselling, and monitoring prospective migrants, especially the youths.
(NAN)
