Kuni Tyessi, Abuja
Plan are underway by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to establish Migration Institution for West African Countries.
The Comptroller General of the Service, Mohammed Babandede , who disclosed this, weekend, in Abuja during a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof Abubakar Rasheed, said it is partnering with the commission to establish the institute which will be situated in Tuga ,Kebbi State, adding that it will be affiliated to universities in Nigeria and few West African countries.
He said the service plans to develop the country’s intellectual capacity, adding, “ our idea to reform the NIS is with the support from the NUC on roadmap to start an institute. We are envisaging migration institution for West African countries. Nigeria immigration is committed to tackling the challenges of Migration management in west Africa.”
Babandede said the institute will check migration issues and assist all neigbouring countries including French speaking nations in tackling their migration challenges.
On the Nigeria Immigration new visa policies, the NIS boss emphasised that the service needs to engage intellectuals to develop officers in specific terms.
“We have come to the National Universities Commission(NUC) to see how we can engage intellectuals to develop our officers. If we do this and intellectuals come in ,they will train millions of Nigerian and it will automatically develop the country.â€
Speaking on the partnership, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Abubakar Rasheed , said the NUC and NIS will work together to promote Migration studies in Nigeria and for the whole of west Africa.
He affirmed that the commission will give intellectual shape to the institute of migration studies and will help create high standard dimension to extend it to the West Africa Sub region.
“On the centrality of migration in the world affair today, many governments of the world, fall and rise because of migration issues. Our role is to work closely with the NIS to see to the take-off of the proposed West Africa institutes for migration management studies that will be based in Tuga, Kebbi state,” the executive secretary added.
On programs of studies, Professor Rasheed assured that the commission will ensure that courses related to migration field are incorporated into the curriculum of the institute while also engaging credible professors in building of courses/curriculum that will be taught.
“NUC shall ensure that programs of studies around the migration field are concrete and concretised and we would ensure that credible professors within and outside Nigeria are brought in preparation for the curriculum that will be taught.â€
On enhancement of cross border education and the affiliation of the institute to universities in and outside Nigeria, the NUC boss said the choice of the universities could be one from Nigeria and another from the francophone neigbouring countries.
