Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, says 90 percent of expatriates doing jobs meant for Nigerians lack proper work permits.

Tunji-Ojo said this on Wednesday when he appeared before the joint national assembly joint committees on interior to defend the budget of the interior ministry.

Adams Oshiomhole, chairman of the senate committee on interior, had said the ministry is allowing a lot of expatriates to come into the country to do the jobs meant for Nigerians.

“No country in the world allows all manner of people to come under all kinds of guises and they are given visas and whatever it is to reside in the country,” Oshiomhole said.

“Visit the commercial centres, you will find expatriates selling tables, chairs, bread – but they are clearly jobs that Nigerians can do.”

In response, the minister said Nigeria needs to solve the problem of “migration management”, adding that there are issues he is not at liberty to discuss in public, but in a closed session.

“We try to solve compound problems by solving them in silos… 90 percent of the people that you spoke about do not have permits and that is the essence of the automation process that we are doing,” Tunji-Ojo said.

“When you go to any country in the world, effective border management is the basis of your home migration management.”