Nigeria's Kemi Nandap leads ECOWAS immigration forum in 2026

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, led Nigeria's delegation at the 10th Annual Heads of Immigration Forum of the Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA) held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from November 3 to 4, 2026. Immigration chiefs from 12 ECOWAS member states signed a declaration aimed at initiating regional free movement arrangements by 2027.

The forum's theme was “From Policy to Practice: Deepening Regional Integration through Harmonized Migration and Border Management in ECOWAS.” Discussions focused on enhancing regional cooperation, migration governance, and integrated border management. Nandap reaffirmed Nigeria's commitment to regional cooperation and highlighted the implementation of the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) and the locally developed Border Control and Immigration Management System (BCIMS).

The meeting also addressed challenges such as the lack of uniform acceptance of the ENBIC across member states and emphasized the need for harmonized migration and border management systems.