Nigeria has significantly ramped up its efforts to track and penalize foreigners who overstay their visas. As of March 2026, the Federal Government has officially launched a nationwide crackdown backed by new AI-driven technology.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, recently announced that Nigeria now possesses an AI-driven monitoring system that can track every traveler who has entered the country over the last 10 years.
The system links entry records, origin data, and visa duration to pinpoint exactly who is currently in the country.
Since May 2025, it has been mandatory for all non-Nigerian travelers to complete digital landing and exit cards online before arrival or departure. This creates a real-time digital trail for the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
The government has moved away from a “lenient” approach to a structured penalty system which Results in the individual being blacklisted and handed a permanent entry ban.
There was a grace period (amnesty window) that ended on September 30, 2025, allowing irregular migrants to regularize their status or leave without penalties.
Since that window closed, the NIS has transitioned into an “enforcement phase.” The government is now actively using the new Integrated Operations Centre to identify and apprehend those who did not take advantage of the amnesty.
To monitor “irregular migrants” and prevent the exploitation of porous borders by criminal elements.
The Minister noted that since other countries strictly track and penalize Nigerians for immigration violations, Nigeria must do the same to protect the “sanctity of its borders.”
