“We discovered that one of the key drivers of rising document fraud is the absence of a centralised, real-time verification system.”
Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Tuesday announced plans to create a centralised system for authenticating all travel documents in the country.
Speaking in Abuja during a meeting with UK Minister of State, David Hanson, Tunji-Ojo said the initiative will combat immigration and document fraud.
“We discovered that one of the key drivers of rising document fraud is the absence of a centralised, real-time verification system,” he stated.
The system will enable real-time verification of documents such as passports, certificates, and bank statements from a single centre.
Tunji-Ojo also disclosed plans for a regional border conference and announced that Nigeria’s EU visa solution platform will go live on May 1.
“Our performance will be judged not by the number of convictions or recoveries but by how many crimes or frauds we prevent,” he added.
Hanson expressed the UK’s readiness to deepen cooperation, saying, “You can rest assured that… we are ready to extend a hand of partnership.”