APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SERVICE DELIVERY IN THE NIGERIAN IMMIGRATION SERVICE: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

The study examines the challenges and prospects of the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in service delivery in the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). The paper investigates the potential benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) integration in immigration services for addressing cross-border crime, ensuring precise and prompt operations, and evaluating the potential obstacles and opportunities associated with AI implementation. The qualitative descriptive research design was utilized in this study to gather, analyse, and interpret data. Data were collected through secondary sources. The Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI) serves as the foundation for this investigation. Findings revealed that the application of AI in service delivery in Nigerian Immigration service may violate individual’s right to privacy, discrimination and biases. On the flip side of the coin, AI application in the services of NIS shows a green light of prospects which include effective and efficient processes of immigration application, secure identity verification at border controls, improve forecasting and resource allocation etc. The study concludes that despite its challenges the application of artificial intelligence in the Nigerian Immigration Services would have enormous impact on its service delivery. Subsequently, the study recommended amongst others, that the government and management of NIS should invest more in infrastructure to enable the service to key into the potentials of artificial intelligence, provide training for staff of management of NIS on the use of artificial intelligence and address the challenges of data connectivity and internet availability.