Nigerians will soon have the opportunity to apply for and obtain their passports from the comfort of their residences, eliminating the necessity of visiting a processing facility.
This innovative system, however, shall be applicable solely to citizens who are 18 years of age or older and those who are renewing expired passports.
Individuals applying for their passports for the first time will still be required to visit a processing center to provide their biometric information.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this announcement during a stakeholders’ forum held in Abuja, where the new contactless passport processing application was unveiled.
The initiative seeks to reduce human interaction and is being executed by Irish Smart Technology and New World. It has undergone a testing phase for the duration of the past nine months.
According to Tunji-Ojo, the newly developed technology is designed to streamline the process for Nigerians both domestically and internationally, safeguarding them from exploitation by intermediaries.
He elucidated that the application would encompass all requisite steps for passport issuance, thereby enhancing efficiency and expediting the process for applicants.
Commencing in April of the forthcoming year, the production of passports will be centralized within Nigeria. Consequently, no immigration attaché stationed abroad will possess the authority to endorse visa applications.
Moreover, the President has granted approval for the retention of 50% of the Nigeria Immigration Service’s (NIS) internally generated revenue by the agency, with the objective of enhancing operations and accelerating services such as passport processing.
The Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mrs. Kemi Nandep, underscored that the transition to contactless passport processing is aimed at alleviating physical inconveniences and bolstering the security of Nigerian passports, thus aligning with international standards.
In order to enhance operations and fortify national security, 32 forward operational bases are concurrently being constructed throughout the nation.
