Migrants Data Analysis, MIDAS at the Lagos International airport has been increased to 42 for seamless facilitation and passengers clearance.
This is just as the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, at the airport reeled out statistics of inbound and outbound passengers during the lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking to newsmen, the NIS MMIA Comptroller, Usman Abdullahi says the MIDAS by the directive of the Comptroller General have been increased from 20 to 42.
Airport has deployed more Migrants Data Analysis, MIDAS machines to all its counters at the airport.
“The MIDAS we had before were 20 machines because MIDAS is work in progress but now we have about 42 as all the counters are equipped with MIDAS now. That would facilitate on the issue of clearance.”
On its activities during the lockdown, the NIS MMIA Comptroller explained that the service recorded 300 evacuation flights from the Lagos airport with 25, 735 passengers.
While evacuation flights into Nigeria was 216 flights of Nigerian returnees and some expatriate essential workers over 12,300.
Since resumption of international fligjts 5th September 2020, Mr. Usman said, they have recorded 99 departure flights with about 10, 000 passengers that departed.
The NIS Comptroller said the COVID-19 had imparted their operations but with the proactive measures put in place with the support of the Comptroller General of the Services, they had succeeded in keeping safe.
Mr. Usman said, their counters were properly shielded, officers properly kitted with masks, hand gloves, and sanitizers all available to support the staff.
“The proactive measures we took now when passengers arrive and disembark, no more rushing because the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) protocol is in place, that passengers will be coming in number in tens(10s) after going through Port Health Services, in that number they come into the immigration counters.”
