The Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) has donated sixteen tablets (mini computers) to the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS).
The donation is intended to enhance LIS’s data collection on the movement of people across Liberia’s borders.
The tablets, equipped with cutting-edge technology, are specifically designated for use by border staff, aiming to streamline digital data collection, improve record-keeping at LIS, and facilitate the production of timely, reliable, and accurate migration statistics.
LISGIS aims to assist the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) in digitizing its data collection processes.
Currently, LISGIS has developed a digital application of the LIS border form and has decided to train LIS border staff on the use of the new digital form.
The application developed by LISGIS is an offline application that takes into consideration the absence of internet connectivity at some port of entry (POE). Under this initiative, LISGIS will provide communication packages to LIS officers in charge of the data collection for monthly submission of data captured.
Speaking during the donation ceremony Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at LIS Headquarters in Monrovia, LISGIS Director General Richard Fatoma Ngafuan lauded the application produced by LISGIS and the collaboration with agencies within the National Statistical System.
According to him, the Liberia Immigration Service plays a pivotal role in migration activities that affect population change. As a result, collaborating with LIS is an indispensable part of LISGIS function.
The LISGIS boss reiterated LISGIS’s willingness to go further in training LIS staff in data analysis since the app mainly focuses on data capture.
Meanwhile, LISGIS says its decision to digitize the LIS data collection system is to increase the availability of timely, reliable, and comparable migration data in Liberia.
Mr. Ngafuan donated the sixteen tablets and said that it is LISGIS’ initial support to the Liberia Immigration Service.
“This collaboration that has started, it’s our hope that it will promote the ARREST Agenda of the regime of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai , especially as we move toward national development planning, we hope that these indicators that will be captured will help to inform the National Development Plan,” he said.
The donation underscores LISGIS’s commitment to supporting government agencies and promoting technological advancement across sectors. As Liberia continues to modernize its system, this initiative represents a positive step towards efficient governance and improved digital data collection and service delivery.
For his part, Liberia Immigration Service Commissioner General, Atty. Stephen J.H. Zargo assured LISGIS that the materials will be used for the intended purpose.
The former Lofa County Senator thanked the institution for its kind gesture and asked for more collaboration between the two institutions.
