Nigerians will soon be able to process and receive their passports from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the need for in-person visits to passport processing centers. This new initiative, announced by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, will initially be available to citizens aged 18 and above, as well as those seeking to renew expired passports. Fresh applicants will still be required to appear in person for biometric registration at a processing center.
The announcement was made at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, where the contactless passport processing app was unveiled. The project is a collaborative effort between two Nigerian firms, Irish Smart Technology and New World, which have been test-running the system for the past nine months. The goal of this technology is to alleviate the challenges faced by Nigerians at home and abroad when applying for passports, as well as to protect applicants from exploitation by middlemen who often create unnecessary obstacles.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo explained that the app is designed to streamline the passport application process, addressing all requirements efficiently and enabling applicants to obtain their passports in record time.
Starting from April next year, passport production will be centralized in Nigeria, meaning that immigration attachés in foreign missions will no longer have the authority to approve visa issuance. This move aims to further enhance the efficiency and security of the passport issuance process.
Additionally, the minister announced that the President has approved the retention of 50% of the Nigerian Immigration Service’s (NIS) internally generated revenue. This funding will help the agency manage its operations more effectively and reduce delays in passport processing and other essential services for Nigerians domestically and abroad.
To bolster national security and improve operations, the NIS is also constructing 32 forward operational bases across the country. Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mrs. Kemi Nandep, emphasized that the contactless passport issuance initiative aims to minimize the inconveniences associated with physical processing while aligning with international best practices in passport security.