By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Lagos State University (LASU) have partnered to host the 2026 Annual Conference of the African Borderlands Research Network (ABORNE), a four-day gathering running from August 24 to 28 in Lagos under the theme, “The Connected Borderlands, Socio-Cultural Integration, and the Centrality of Policy, Research, and Security.”
Declaring the conference open on behalf of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister’s Senior Policy Advisor, Dr. Kareem Olakoju, underscored the strategic importance of effective border governance to Nigeria’s security and migration architecture, while calling for stronger institutional partnerships to tackle the intertwined challenges of security, mobility, and development across Africa’s borderlands.
In her welcome address, the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, traced Nigeria’s record of border modernization — from the continent’s first electronic passport in 2007 to its current suite of enhanced e-passports, contactless biometric services, and automated border control systems.
She described borders not as mere dividing lines but as dynamic spaces where people, communities, economies, and cultures meet, and reaffirmed that intelligence sharing, cybersecurity, surveillance, and research remain central to Nigeria’s push for safer, more connected borderlands.
On her part, the Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State, Professor Folashade Tolulope Ogunsola, spoke to the university’s commitment to research that engages directly with Africa’s border realities, describing borderlands as living spaces of interaction, identity, and exchange that demand closer integration of research, practice, and policy.
Representing Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule Akibu, welcomed the conference to the state and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to platforms that advance research, strengthen regional cooperation, and offer practical solutions to migration and border challenges across the continent.
Also, Chairman of the ABORNE Chiefs, Prof. Paul Nugent, called for evidence-based approaches to border governance and regional cooperation, while veteran border scholar, Prof. Anthony Asiwaju, delivered a keynote, “20 Years After Ciudad Juárez: ABORNE Ship Berths in Lagos,” tracing the evolution of African border studies and reflecting on the significance of bringing the conference to Lagos.
Over its four days, the conference will address policy, migration, smart borders, digital identity, regional integration, and cross-border security — reflecting the Nigeria Immigration Service’s continued commitment to secure, connected, and resilient border management.
