THE Federal Government has called on critical stakeholders and security agencies to forge a united front in combating misinformation and curbing irregular migration through grassroots engagement and coordinated inter-agency cooperation.

Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, made the call during a Stakeholder Sensitization and Engagement Seminar themed ‘Bridging the Information Gap: Promoting Informed, Safe and Regular Migration’, yesterday in Abuja.

Represented by the Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) in charge of the Visa and Residency Directorate, Franca Usiwoma Nwanneka, the CG said that securing national borders requires robust public awareness alongside advanced technology.

Nandap noted that while the pursuit of education, employment, and better opportunities is entirely legitimate, the prevalence of misinformation and false promises continues to expose vulnerable citizens to grave dangers.

She pointed that “Every day people choose to migrate in pursuit of education, employment, safety, and better opportunities,” Nandap stated, adding: “While these aspirations are legitimate, decisions based on misinformation, false promises, or limited awareness of safe and lawful migration pathways can expose individuals to serious risks and devastating consequences.”

The immigration boss highlighted that human trafficking, migrant smuggling, travel fraud, and irregular migration underscore the urgent need to bridge information gaps and improve intelligence sharing among operational partners.

While outlining the service’s recent milestones including the deployment of cutting-edge border control technologies and institutional reforms aimed at building an intelligence-led framework, Nandap maintained that technology alone cannot solve the crisis.

“Preventing these risks requires more than border control. It begins with equipping prospective migrants with accurate, timely, and reliable information to make informed decisions and pursue safe, lawful migration pathways,” she noted.

Emphasising that migration governance is a collective responsibility, she urged all sectors of society to move past conventional seminar dialogue and take practical steps to protect citizens from exploitation.

“I therefore call on government agencies, security institutions, development partners, traditional and community leaders, civil society organizations, educational institutions, transport operators, and the media to move beyond seminar dialogue and take coordinated, practical action to combat misinformation, raise public awareness, and promote safe, informed, and lawful migration,” Nandap charged.

She expressed optimism that the technical sessions and roundtable discussions would yield actionable frameworks to strengthen migration governance, before formally declaring the seminar open to participants.