By TINA HASSAN ABEKU, Abuja

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), in partnership with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), have agreed to use the Advance Passenger Information system (API), as a single window border policy to ease the clearance of passengers at the International airports.

Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede and the Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, Thursday, said the move is expected to remove undue bureaucracy and bottlenecks associated with multiple clearance by several agencies for passengers and to enble the agencies track passengers mobility, throigh the API which is a major tool for getting information about a passenger before arrival into the country for effective border control and management.

A statement signed by the public relations officer of the NIS, Sunday James in Abuja says that this is also in line with international best practice and the United Nations (UN), resolution 2396 supported by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which encourages governments to deploy the API for standard collection and gathering of data of International travellers.

According to the duo, “a single window border operation will facilitate ease and seamless passenger clearance without compromising national security at the International airports through the deployment of the advance technology, API, combined with the Migration Information Data Analysis System (MIDAS) operated by the NIS at the airport for collection of information and control of entry, which is the best international practices globally.” (The Guardian)