Immigration Comptroller General Urges Personnel To Provide Excellent Client Service

The Federal Government has tasked personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) with consistently providing excellent service to clients, emphasizing that efficient customer service is a right, not a privilege.

Comptroller General of the Immigration Service (CGIS), Kemi Nandap, issued this charge in Abuja during the opening of the 2025 SERVICOM Customer Service Week.

She assured that the Service is on an irreversible path of reform, modernization, and improved transparency, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The CGIS highlighted that the week-long event, themed “Mission Possible,” with the NIS sub-theme “Meeting and Exceeding Expectations,” provides an opportunity for officers to recommit to principles of courtesy, timeliness, and citizen-centered service delivery.

She stated, “The Nigeria Immigration Service must not only meet expectations but exceed them. Every passport issued, every permit processed, every encounter at our borders is a test of our professionalism and integrity. We must continue to build public trust and prove that we are a Service that delivers.”

The CGIS noted that upon assuming office in 2024, she raised concerns about negative practices that tarnished the Service’s image and challenged officers to reassess their approach.

Nandap explained that this directive resulted in significant reforms, including a passport automation and contactless processing system designed to minimize physical interaction and eliminate bottlenecks.

She further detailed, “Other initiatives include the deployment of e-gates and body cameras at airports, enhancing border security while promoting transparency, and intensified sensitization campaigns across formations to combat corruption and entrench professionalism.”

“These reforms are already yielding positive results,” she noted, citing improved national ratings, commendations, and awards recently received by the NIS at government performance review retreats.

Nandap urged NIS personnel nationwide to utilize the 2025 Customer Service Week as an opportunity to recommit to exceeding public expectations, charging officers to consistently uphold the Service’s reputation.

She added, “This celebration is not merely for show. It is a solemn call to renew our pledge of service and to institutionalize transparency, courtesy, and excellence as our standard operating culture.”

Earlier, Special Assistant to the CGIS on SERVICOM and Reform Champion, Barr. Muhammad Awwal Abubakar, a deputy comptroller of immigration, described the Customer Service Week as “a call to reflection, action, and renewal.”

He emphasized that the global theme, “Mission Possible,” challenges public institutions to view obstacles as opportunities for innovation rather than justifications for inefficiency.

“Customer service is not a privilege granted by government institutions but a right owed to the people. Our duty is to ensure that every interaction with the NIS leaves citizens and travelers with confidence in our integrity and efficiency,” Abubakar said.

The 2025 NIS SERVICOM Customer Service Week will feature activities across commands and formations nationwide, showcasing innovation, best practices, and the Service’s ongoing transformation agenda.