THE Federal Government, as part of measures to buoy Nigeria’s depressed economy, has commissioned 28 additional centres for the production of Combined Expatriate Resident Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC).
Commissioning the centres in Abuja, Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau disclosed that the current structure would ease the stress of doing business in Nigeria.
Dambazau, who noted that Borno and Yobe states were yet to have CERPAC centres, however described the new centres as a furtherance of government’s “commitment to effective and efficient service delivery with a view to creating the enabling environment for attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs).
The development which brings to 36, the number of such centres in the country is aimed at automating the operations of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for the issuance of resident permits to expatriates residing and working in the country.
He said, “This initiative which will certainly enhance the capacity of the NIS to discharge its statutory duty of internal monitoring and control of foreigners in Nigeria is equally in tandem with the letter and spirit of the recent executive order on promoting transparency and efficiency for the creation of an enabling business environment,” he stated.
In his welcome address, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede urged field officers in the centres to expedite action in delivering on their mandate.
He said while there would be rewards for excellence, those who falter in their duties would be sanctioned appropriately.
