The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) was extracted from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in August, 1958. It was at that time referred to as the Immigration Department and headed by the Chief Federal Immigration Officer (CFIO).
The Immigration Department was established by an Act of Parliament (Cap 171, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) on August 1, 1963 when Alhaji Shehu Shagari was the Minister of Internal Affairs (a position now referred to as Minister of Interior).
The initial Law regulating Immigration Duties was the Immigration Act of 1963 which was amended in 2014 and again in 2015 (Immigration Act, 2015).
The Service has from 1963 been restructured to manage modern migration in line with global, regional and sub-regional political alignments.
The NIS has leveraged the use of Information and Communication Technologies in its operations including:
The introduction of the machine readable electronic passport in 2007
The creation of a Service website and portal
Global Passport intervention in line with the Federal Government Policy on Citizenship Diplomacy
Forensic laboratory services for the examination of travel documents and monetary instruments
The introduction of the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC)
As empowered by Section 2 the Immigration Act, 2015, the Service is responsible for:
The control of persons entering or leaving Nigeria
The issuance of travel documents, including Nigerian passports, to bonafide Nigerians within and outside Nigeria
The issuance of residence permits to foreigners in Nigeria
Border surveillance and patrol
Enforcement of laws and regulations with which they are directly charged; and
The performance of such para-military duties within or outside Nigeria as may be required of them under the authority of this Act or any other enactment
The Nigeria Immigration Service has been under the leadership of the following from inception:
E. H. Harrison, Esq (Chief Federal Immigration Officer) from 1962 - 1966
J. E. Onugogu, Esq (Chief Federal Immigration Officer) from 1966 - 1967
Alayedeino, Esq (Chief Federal Immigration Officer) from 1967 - 1976
Alhaji Aliyu Muhammed (Director of Immigration) from 1977 - 1979
Alhaji Lawal Sambo (Director of Immigration) from 1979 -1985
Muhammed Damulak, Esq (Director of Immigration) from 1985 - 1990
Alhaji Garba Abbas (last Director of Immigration, 1st Comptroller-General Immigration Service - CGIS) from 1990 - 1995
Alhaji Sahabi Abubakar (Comptroller-General Immigration Service - CGIS) from 1995 - 1999
Alhaji U. K. Umar (Acting Comptroller-General Immigration Service - Ag. CGIS) from 1999 - 2000
Lady U. C. Nwizu (Comptroller-General Immigration Service - CGIS) from 2000 - 2004
Mr. Chukwurah Joseph Udeh (Comptroller-General Immigration Service - CGIS) from 2005 - 2010
Mrs. Rose Chinyere Uzoma (Comptroller-General Immigration Service - CGIS) from 2010 - 2013
Rilwan Bala Musa,mni (Acting Comptroller-General Immigration Service - Ag. CGIS) 2013
David Shikfu Parradang,mni (Comptroller-General Immigration Service - CGIS) from 2013 - 2015
Martin Kure Abeshi (Comptroller-General Immigration Service - CGIS) from 2015 - 2016
Muhammed Babandede,MFR (Comptroller-General Immigration Service - CGIS) from 2016 - date
