The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says the Federal Government is committed to implementing various reforms in the ministry and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
Tunji-Ojo spoke to newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday after a meeting with the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA),
The minister described the gathering as a “family meeting,” emphasising NECA’s role as a strategic partner.
He acknowledged the critical contributions of the private sector to socio-economic development.
He said the meeting focused on reviewing strategies, enhancing government performance, promoting private sector growth, and making decisions that aligned with the interests of Nigerians and the economy.
“It is not just about CERPAC reforms alone, there was a lot of reforms in terms of CERPAC because it is our responsibility to make life easier for Nigerians and expatriate
“And of course in terms of our quota administration, understudy administration but we understand that as the public sector cannot do it all by itself.
“We need strategic partnership with NECA, affiliate organisations and other agencies, we need to cooperate to take decisions as a team.
” What’s important to us is what is important to them and what’s that? Interest of Nigerians ” he said.
According to the minister, this is our country and we can actually do the unimaginable.
“We can achieve the seemingly unachievable when we are united in our approach and understanding,” he said, adding, ” we have shared values.”
He reassured Nigerians that the ministry of interior in line with its citizenship business responsibilities was actively collaborating.
He hinted that there was an agreement that this should not be a one off meeting but twice a year minimum about their concerns especially as it affected their businesses.
Tunji-Ojo said that reforms had to continue noting that it was a work in progress.
According to him, a lot has been done with regard to CERPAC, expatriate quota, business permit and a lot of things, even work flow in terms of border control and how it affects NIS.
In a remark, the Director -General, NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde said that people said governance was complex and difficult but” when you have visionaries running the system, you realise that it is one of the simplest things to do.”
Oyerinde said that part of the things deliberated on was for stakeholders to engage constructively, adding that all stakeholders in the Nigerian projects commended government for opening up the channels of engagement.
He said that the most beautiful part of it was the consensus that there would be a committee to work together to review a couple of things.
He disclosed that that in the next one week, work would commence on all areas mentioned