Osinbajo: Synergy critical in managing Nigeria’s border

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says renewed efforts will be channeled towards improving synergy among agencies involved in border management.
Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the vice president spoke at the virtual presentation of the research report of the National Defence College Course 28.
The research report is titled “Border Management and National Development in Nigeria: The ECOWAS Protocol Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment in Perspective”.
He said synergy was key as government and other stakeholders continued to seek solutions for a more effective border management in Nigeria.
The vice president said that border management affected the economy hence the need to get all agencies involved in the sector together.
“It is absolutely the correct thing to do; to try and see how we can unify agencies concerned with border management so that there is synergy; we must come back to the question of synergy.
“Why  is it that we have the kinds of problems that we have at the borders and ports, and why the delays?’’
He commended the participants for a thoroughly researched paper, adding that the research paper touched on important national issues and that efforts would be made to adopt and implement key recommendations.
“I commend you for a very comprehensive, thought-provoking and well-researched paper; the point that has been made also is that we can see the importance of synergy even here.
“Here is a situation where relevant services have come together including international participants with experience in the relevant areas, and have made what I think is really a seminal contribution to our ideas about border management.
“I like the fact that you have addressed very practical issues and also very contemporary questions that we have to deal with not just as matters of security and human trafficking but perhaps on a broader scale for the generality of our people and the Nigerian economy at a very difficult time.
“There is no question at all that whatever we do with respect to border management will affect our economy very considerably,’’ he said.
According to Osinbajo, the questions that the report addressed, goes to the root of Nigeria’s economic survival.
He said that some of the things the report said were spot on as what needed to be done was to work towards implementing  some of the suggestions.
The report identified lack of coordination as a major weakness in Nigeria’s border management sector while key recommendations include the adoption of a comprehensive border surveillance programme, the creation of National Border Management Service, among others.
Participants at the event include the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Mackson Kadiri, and other principal officers of the College.
Others are the Director-General of the Border Communities Development Agency, Capt. Junaid Abdullahi, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, Amb. Adeyemi Dipeolu  and Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, Dr Jumoke Oduwole.
Representatives of the Course participants that made presentations at the event include Col. Babatunde Omopariola, who was the lead presenter and Col. Raymond Utsaha.
Others are Navy Capt. A Oshatuberu,  Group Capt. Ehimen Ejodame and Brig. Gen. Jitendra Singh.