Nigeria seeks Sahel, West African partnership on border control

The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration among Sahel and West African nations to enhance border security through information and data sharing.

Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the appeal on Tuesday April 1, 2025, at the sidelines of the Border Security Summit in London.

He emphasized on the need for proactive measures to tackle organized immigration crimes.

“There is a need for collaboration among countries in the Sahel and West African subregion for better international partnerships and information dissemination.

“We need more data sharing and better cooperation to ensure we don’t just respond to border crimes but prevent them from happening in the first place.

“The key takeaway from this summit is proactiveness—nations are now more determined to criminalize irregular migration,” he said.

The minister stressed that border crimes are not isolated to any single country.

He called for collective efforts to combat transnational threats such as human trafficking, smuggling, and document fraud.

He noted that Nigeria has already implemented automated border control solutions to strengthen security and curb irregular migration.

“Nigeria is not just a destination point; we have automated systems in place to secure our borders and combat irregular migration effectively.

“We cannot afford to lose the battle before we even start,” he added .

Tunji-Ojo reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening immigration policies and working with global partners to tackle border-related crimes.

The summit, attended by over 30 global leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

It’s purpose is to provided a platform for discussions on migration policies, security threats, and strategies to curb illegal immigration.

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