THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has unveiled the newly refurbished E-Arrival Wing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
This upgraded hall, a collaborative effort between the Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited, aims to streamline the arrival process, providing a smoother experience for passengers, especially the elderly and those with mobility challenges.
The E-Arrival Wing boasts 32 counters, cultural displays representing various ethno-cultural groups, and inscriptions of Nigerian greetings on its walls.
Dr Tunji-Ojo, who commended the oil and gas giants for footing the bill of the refurbishment as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), highlighted the capacity of the facility to eliminate delays caused by long queues during verification and capturing.
Anticipating the introduction of E-gates by February next year, he emphasized the need to end the traditional passenger-immigration officer interface on arrival.
“Once you are a Nigerian and you are coming into your country, you have no business with an immigration officer unless you are a person of interest, or there are security concerns”.
The refurbishment of the facility, which included the installation of the state -of-the-art equipment at the airport and handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), is part of the joint Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project of the Shell and NNPC at the airport.
Lagos State Governor; Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Commissioner, Special Duties, Mr Gbenga Oyerinde, hailed the project as a symbol of commitment to a seamless passenger journey, enhancing Nigeria’s reputation as a welcoming destination.
“Is indeed a major accomplishments that would significantly improve the status of this airport”.
Kola Tella
