Porous Border: Nigerian Government Approves N52 Billion For Electronic Monitoring

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Nigeria- Seme Border

Nigeria's Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Thursday approved N52 billion for electronic border in order to improve patrol in major Nigerian entry points.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,  who chaired the meeting, said the decision was taken in order to address the challenge of porosity across Nigerian borders and the possibility of invasion.

Reports have it that Nigeria has over 1,400 porous borders in the country aside 140 recognised borders, most of which are prone to arms proliferation and illegal migration.

While briefing journalists after the meeting, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd.) explained that the contract would cover 86 border posts and all the 1,400 routes used for illegal operations.

According to him, the pilot system has already been installed at two border posts, where information would be available real-time 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

In a recent report, the interior minister, quoting the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament, stated that 500 million assorted illegal firearms can be found in the West African region, from which 350 million, which accounts for 70 per cent of the weapons are in Nigeria.

He admitted that the country’s porous borders had made possible the proliferation of such arms.

“Council approved N52 billion for eBorder solution. This process started in 2012 but we picked it up to move forward when we came in. The project is to be completed within the next two years,” Dambazau stated in a report by The Nation.

Culled from: ICIR