Abuja — The Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Mr. David Parradang has said the service generated a sum of $15 million through the Nigerian missions abroad where it currently issues e-passports in 2014.
Parrandang disclosed this recently in Abuja at the inauguration of a new data centre and the Customer Queuing Systems installed in the passport hall.
According to him, "The transition from cash collection has evidently improved our internally generated revenue (IGR) profile astronomically. For instance, in 2014, the sum of N9, 249, 483, 600 was generated locally as revenue accruing from e-passports while immigration desks at the Nigerian missions abroad where we are currently issuing e-passports generated the sum of $15, 346, 980."
The comptroller general stressed that the data centre would go a long way in guaranteeing quick resolution of technical issues regarding the e-payment platform and also block all revenue leakages, thereby upholding the sanctity of government transactions as a veritable tool of enforcing accountability.
Parradang noted that the service would strive to provide world-class services and the needed enabling environment for its customers.
On his part, the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro said the initiative would further guarantee prompt resolution of challenges with the online platform for payment of immigration facilities which is currently being managed by Networks.
The minister stated that the arrangement which was meant to provide a convenient environment for teeming passports applicants would in no small measure assist NIS to sustain the tempo of seamless and timely service delivery in accordance with the tenets of servicom.
"The ministry is committed to giving the necessary support towards making the Nigerian Immigration Service a world class migration management Agency that can favourably compete with any of its counterparts anywhere in the world. This is very expedient to enable to us to consolidate our on-going efforts towards integration of the payment and issuance platforms of the e-Passport technology," Moro said.
The minister expressed hope that the Data Centre, the Customer Queuing System and the Automatic Rising Bollards, would be used as channels through which better services would be rendered to members of the public.
AllAfrica