President Tinubu promised prior to last year's election a regulatory environment to encourage healthy adoption of digital assets, including cryptocurrency
AFP

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday described the commissioning of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex (BATTIC) as a fulfillment of his administration's promise to bring impactful changes to the country.

During the opening of the center in Abuja, which was built by the Nigeria Immigration Service and named after him, the president highlighted that the complex will improve security, simplify business processes and boost investor confidence in Nigeria.

"The integration of security, whether air, land or sea, embarked upon by you is a fulfillment of a dream. From the beginning of our administration, we promised to deliver and execute excellent and innovative solutions across the government and the Nigeria Immigration Service," as per the official statement shared on X.

Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service Kemi Nandap called the complex a major achievement for Africa. She thanked President Tinubu for his support and leadership, which helped turn the project, first proposed 18 years ago, into a reality.

The complex includes seven main components -- a Data Centre, Command and Control Centre, Visa Approval Centre, ECOWAS Card Centre, Solar Farm and Passport Centre.

Tinubu said that Nigeria, with its population of over 200 million, must embrace technology, change, and innovation to create opportunities that benefit everyone.

He believes that improvements in immigration services will bring economic benefits and make it easier for people to enter and exit the country. The president also praised the Ministry of Interior's leadership for its recent achievements, particularly the improvements in passport issuance.

He highlighted the collaboration between different government agencies, saying it made the commissioning of the center possible.

Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo thanked Tinubu for his support, leadership, and encouragement, which helped complete the project within one year. He assured the president that BATTIC was proof that his vision for Nigeria was achievable.

The minister mentioned that with the new complex, visa applications would be approved within 48 hours. The minister added that the idea for the complex came from the need to reduce the cost of archiving data by various government agencies.

Earlier this week, the Senate Finance Committee warned government agencies that those failing to account for 2024 funds will receive no allocation in the 2025 budget.

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