Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Nigeria Immigration Service on Thursday held a grand valedictory session at its headquarters in Abuja to honour four of its most distinguished senior officers who retired after 35 years of meritorious service to the nation, in a ceremony described as a colourful, memorable and emotionally charged celebration of excellence, legacy and selfless service.
In a statement posted on its X handle, the Service Public Relations Officer, DCI A.S. Akinlabi, said representing the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, the Deputy Comptroller-General (Visa and Residency), F.U. Nwanneka, described the retirees as icons of excellence whose contributions had significantly shaped the Service. “These officers have demonstrated outstanding leadership, uncommon dedication and made invaluable contributions to the growth and transformation of the Nigeria Immigration Service,” Nwanneka said. “On behalf of the Comptroller-General and the entire Service, I convey our profound appreciation for their patriotic and exemplary service.”
The celebrated officers are Deputy Comptroller-General (Planning, Research and Statistics) D.M. Bagari; Deputy Comptroller-General (ICT and Cybersecurity) A. Obianime; Deputy Comptroller-General (Border Management) A.R. Sabo; and Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of the Migration Directorate, A.M. Halliday. Their retirement marks the end of careers that spanned more than three decades and coincided with a period of significant institutional reform within the Service.
Bagari, who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education, oversaw planning, research and statistics activities of the Service, a directorate responsible for generating the data and analysis that underpin policy decisions and operational planning. Obianime, also known as Augusta Obianime, headed the ICT and Cybersecurity Directorate, where she championed the Service’s digital transformation agenda, including the deployment of cybersecurity awareness programmes, the adoption of artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies for border security, and the establishment of an Inter-Directorate AI and Blockchain Committee. Sabo, who headed the Border Management Directorate, represented the Comptroller-General in engagements with international partners, including a meeting with a delegation from the Royal Danish Embassy on maritime security and migration management in July 2026. Halliday, who headed the Migration Directorate, has been a consistent voice on strategic management and institutional excellence, representing the Comptroller-General at events including the induction of 50 NIS officers into the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria in June 2026.
Nwanneka wished the retirees well in their next phase of life. “We pray that you enjoy a fulfilling retirement, resounding success in your future endeavours, and a peaceful, rewarding post-service life,” she said. The valedictory session drew an impressive gathering of top management, senior officers, family members, friends and well-wishers who came together to celebrate the remarkable achievements of the retiring officers and bid them a well-deserved farewell.
The ceremony comes at a pivotal moment for the Nigeria Immigration Service, which has been undergoing a comprehensive modernisation programme under the leadership of Comptroller-General Kemi Nandap. The Service has accelerated the deployment of digital identity systems, automated border controls and intelligence-led surveillance to strengthen border security while facilitating legitimate movement and cross-border trade. The NIS now uses the National Identification Number for the issuance and renewal of passports, a reform enabled by the NIMC Act 2026 signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Service has also introduced electronic immigration gates at major airports, a digital visa system with 48-hour processing, and advanced passenger information and passenger name record systems to improve border security.
The retirements come amid ongoing efforts to address the welfare of retired officers. In April 2026, President Tinubu approved a lifetime salary structure for retired senior officers of paramilitary agencies, including the NIS, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Federal Fire Service and the Nigerian Correctional Service. The policy covers retired Comptroller-Generals and Deputy Comptroller-Generals, a measure that retired paramilitary chiefs described as “historic justice” after years of advocacy. The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, also disclosed on Wednesday that plans had been concluded to settle all outstanding liabilities of retired officers, including death benefits and repatriation allowances. The Service has additionally announced plans to establish a Resource Centre to tap into the expertise of its retirees and keep them engaged in the development of the Service, a recognition that institutional memory resides not only in files and databases but in the people who built the systems.
The departure of four senior officers from key directorates, including planning, ICT, border management and migration, represents a significant loss of institutional knowledge. These are the directorates that form the backbone of the Service’s operational and strategic functions, and their leadership transitions will be closely watched as the NIS continues to implement its reform agenda. The Service has graduated 1,626 officers from its fourth combined and upgrading course in 2026, part of an effort to build the next generation of leaders who will take forward the work that Bagari, Obianime, Sabo and Halliday have advanced.
For the four retirees, the valedictory session was an occasion to reflect on careers that spanned the transformation of the NIS from a largely manual, paper-based organisation to one increasingly driven by technology, data and international cooperation. Their tenure overlapped with some of the most consequential changes in the history of Nigeria’s immigration management, including the digitisation of passport issuance, the integration of identity systems, and the strengthening of border controls in response to evolving security threats. As Nwanneka put it, they have demonstrated outstanding leadership, uncommon dedication and made invaluable contributions to the growth and transformation of the Nigeria Immigration Service. The Service, and the nation, are the better for their service.
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