Immigration CG mulls more job opportunities for Nigerians over foreigners.

Chinazor Megbolu

The Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr. Muhammad Babandede, on Tuesday said the agency is going to create more job opportunities for Nigerians over foreigners in Nigeria.

He made this known during a courtesy visit to the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmuminu Kabir-Usman, saying the NIS is strategising to limit job opportunities available to foreigners in the country and give it to Nigerians.

Babandede hinted that the influx of foreign nationals into Nigeria has made them occupy most of the job opportunities available to Nigerians.

“Therefore, we are going to limit the kind of jobs those foreign nationals can be engaged in. By doing such, Nigerians can get more job opportunities,” Babandede said.

He said his mission was to seek the emir’s blessings and see how NIS could also partner with the traditional institutions in identifying the foreign nationals who had stayed in the country beyond their official residence permit.

Babandede maintained that efforts by the agency to partner with the traditional rulers would help in the serious management of the Nigeria’s security.

According to Babandede; “border management strategy cannot be achieved without the involvement of the traditional rulers. They are the ones that can identify any strange persons in their domains.

“Therefore, Your Highness, I beg for your support to make sure anyone traveling out of the country or coming in must have travel documents.

“Non-implementation of the ECOWAS protocols is a major challenge we have at our borders. Hence, we are going to make sure that we enforce the protocols.”

Meanwhile, the emir, in his remarks, hailed the NIS move to engage the traditional rulers, buttressing it is a welcome development, while assuring of his support.

“The traditional rulers, especially the village heads, ward heads and district heads have vital roles to play in identifying foreign nationals that had stayed for long and those coming into their domains illegally,” he said.

Kabir-Usman, however, pointed out that if the traditional rulers are engaged, it would also help both the traditional rulers and the government on how to manage security issues in their communities respectively.