ABUJA — The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has received a significant boost in its efforts to strengthen migration governance and border security with the official handover of EDISON software license keys and the Passport Examination Program Manual (PEPM III) mobile application from the Dutch government.
The handover ceremony, held in Abuja, marks a deepening of the longstanding cooperation between Nigeria and the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the area of migration management and border control.
Speaking at the event, the Acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, commended the Dutch government for its continued support, describing the gesture as timely and critical to the service’s modernization agenda. She noted that the new tools would significantly enhance document verification processes and help detect fraudulent travel documents, thereby strengthening Nigeria’s ability to combat irregular migration and transnational crimes.
According to Adepoju, the EDISON software and the PEPM III application will enable immigration officers to access a comprehensive digital library of global passport specimens and training materials, including updated security features, biometric specifications, and forgery detection techniques.
“This technological support reinforces our frontline officers’ ability to carry out real-time document authentication, which is vital to safeguarding national security and ensuring that only eligible travelers pass through our borders,” she stated.
The representative of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Joris van Bommel, who led the delegation from the Netherlands, reiterated his country’s commitment to supporting migration governance in Nigeria and across West Africa. He noted that the tools provided are already in use by several European countries and are designed to meet global standards for travel document examination.
He expressed confidence that the collaboration would yield measurable improvements in border control operations, information sharing, and capacity-building within the NIS.
The EDISON system, developed in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the European Union, is part of an advanced suite of border management technologies designed to empower immigration authorities with access to verified, up-to-date global passport data. Meanwhile, the PEPM III mobile app is tailored to facilitate in-field document examination and training for immigration officers, especially at high-volume entry points.
This development comes as the NIS intensifies its reform drive to digitize its operations and build officers’ capacity in line with international best practices. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to deepening international partnerships that foster safe, orderly, and regular migration.
