The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has engaged with global counterparts at the Border Security Summit held at Lancaster House, London, as part of Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its national security and immigration control frameworks.
The meeting brought together over 30 representatives from key nations, including the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper.
The summit focused on strengthening cross-border cooperation and improving responses to organised immigration crime, particularly human trafficking, smuggling, and related transnational offenses.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo, representing Nigeria, highlighted the country’s position on the importance of structured intelligence-sharing mechanisms and stronger bilateral agreements to improve border protection capabilities.
The minister also called for the adoption of advanced surveillance technologies to detect and deter criminal activities across borders.
Nigeria, which has faced growing security threats linked to illegal migration and cross-border criminal networks, reaffirmed its commitment to align with international protocols to address these challenges.
The minister stressed the need for collaboration between national security agencies and international partners to close existing gaps in Nigeria’s border management system.
Speaking in an interview during the summit, Tunji-Ojo underscored that tackling organised immigration crime requires coordinated efforts beyond national borders.
He added that no single country possesses the capacity to effectively respond to evolving threats without strategic partnerships.
The summit also covered global migration trends, developments in border control technology, and the application of artificial intelligence in monitoring and enforcement processes.
Countries present exchanged perspectives on improving national frameworks while enhancing joint actions to disrupt criminal syndicates operating across borders.
Nigeria’s participation aligns with its ongoing reforms aimed at modernising its immigration structure and improving the security architecture of the country’s borders.
The Ministry of Interior is currently driving several initiatives to strengthen documentation processes, secure border points, and combat human trafficking.
The summit concluded with a consensus among participating countries on the need for continuous multilateral engagements to improve intelligence-sharing and operational capabilities against organised immigration crimes.
