The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has graduated 1,626 officers from the Fourth Combined and Upgrading Course, 2026, with a charge to uphold professionalism in border security and migration management.
The training concluded with a Passing Out Parade at the Immigration Training School, Kano (ITSK) and the Digital Bridge Institute. The programme was designed to strengthen the professional capacity of participating officers as the Service responds to changing border management and migration challenges.
The Nigeria Immigration Service said the scale of the exercise reflected its continuing emphasis on manpower development and professional training. The Service has also increasingly highlighted technology as an important tool for improving border security, migration management and operational efficiency.
Immigration training targets stronger border management
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, represented by the Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources Management, SU Agba, congratulated the graduating officers.
She charged them to uphold professionalism while discharging their statutory responsibilities. According to her, technology remains an important enabler in tackling contemporary border security and migration management challenges.
The Comptroller-General also reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to continuous training, upgrading and the welfare of its officers. The emphasis aligns with the NIS’s broader drive towards a modern and technology-driven immigration institution.
Record immigration course mobilises largest cadet group
The Commandant of the Immigration Training School, Kano, CIS AN Akuneme, disclosed that a record number of cadets were mobilised for the latest course.
According to him, the exercise represented the largest training mobilisation in the history of the school. He therefore urged the graduating officers to adapt to the changing dynamics of border management and remain focused on their statutory responsibilities.
Akuneme charged the officers to facilitate legitimate migration flows while preventing irregular migration and trans-border threats. He said their responsibilities would require professionalism, discipline and an understanding of emerging challenges across Nigeria’s borders.
The latest training comes as border management becomes increasingly dependent on technology, data and digital identity systems.
For the officers graduating from the Fourth Combined and Upgrading Course, the challenge will therefore extend beyond traditional border-control duties. They will be expected to apply professional judgement while working within an increasingly technology-enabled immigration environment.
Merit awards, market commissioning highlight ceremony
The Passing Out Parade also featured merit awards for deserving participants who distinguished themselves during the course.
The ceremony’s other major highlight was the commissioning of an ultra-modern market constructed by the course participants. The project added an institutional development component to the training exercise.
Representatives of various security agencies attended the event alongside senior serving and retired officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service. Their presence highlighted the wider security and inter-agency importance of effective border management.
According to the Service Public Relations Officer, DCI AS Akinlabi, the graduation demonstrates the NIS commitment to building professional capacity across its workforce.
The development is significant as Nigeria continues to balance national security with the need to facilitate lawful movement of people across its borders. Effective immigration management requires officers who can identify security threats while supporting legitimate migration.
The 1,626 graduates will now return to their respective duties with the responsibility of applying the knowledge and skills acquired during the course.
For the NIS, the next priority will be ensuring that the training translates into stronger operational performance, improved professionalism and more effective border security across the country.
