The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has inaugurated 108 Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) desk officers across its formations nationwide, as part of efforts to strengthen integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct within the Service.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony on Thursday, the Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, described the initiative as a significant step toward building a proactive, grassroots-driven system of ethical governance within the NIS.
“We are gathered not merely to inaugurate officers, but to entrench a proactive, grassroots architecture for ethical governance,” Nandap said.
According to her, the newly appointed desk officers include 12 deployed at the Service Headquarters and 96 drawn from various state commands. She explained that the officers were carefully selected based on their integrity, courage, and sound judgment. While those at the headquarters were sworn in during the ceremony, officers in state commands are expected to take their oath of allegiance in their respective formations.
Nandap charged the officers to see themselves as ethical champions and standard bearers within their formations, stressing that their role is central to institutional reform.
She outlined three key responsibilities for the desk officers: enlightenment, deterrence, and punishment. On enlightenment, she urged them to organise regular education and awareness programmes on ethical standards, service regulations, and relevant laws to promote a culture of integrity among personnel.
On deterrence, the Comptroller General said the officers are expected to provide confidential and credible channels for reporting misconduct and unethical practices. For punishment, she noted that the desk officers would work closely with Command Comptrollers and the ACTU headquarters to ensure that proven cases of misconduct are addressed in line with existing laws and regulations.
“This includes monitoring compliance with transparency initiatives, such as the transparent auction of seized items, and enforcing service standards in passport administration, visa processing, and border operations, ensuring that violations attract clear and proportionate sanctions,” she added.
Addressing heads of formations, Nandap called for full institutional support for the desk officers, urging leaders to provide an enabling environment free from obstruction or intimidation.
“Their mandate is not to undermine command authority, but to reinforce it. See them as partners in building formations defined by credibility and pride,” she said.
Representatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Army pledged their support for the initiative. The ICPC representative, Olusegun Adigun, said the desk officers would strengthen transparency, monitor ethical compliance, and conduct corruption risk assessments across formations.
Similarly, the Nigerian Army representative, Lt. Col. S. H. Sanadi, reaffirmed the military’s commitment to internal control systems and cooperation in anti-corruption reforms.
Speaking on behalf of the newly inaugurated officers, R. A. Bashiru commended the Comptroller General’s digital reforms, noting that they had helped operationalise integrity within the Service.
Nandap said the inauguration sends a strong message that under her leadership, the Nigeria Immigration Service maintains zero tolerance for corruption and remains committed to building a professional, transparent, and respected institution.
