Nigerians will soon have the convenience of processing and receiving their passports from home, eliminating the need for physical visits to passport processing centers. This announcement was made by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Initially, this initiative will apply only to Nigerians aged 18 and above seeking to renew expired passports. However, fresh applicants will still need to appear in person to register their biometrics at passport centers.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo unveiled the contactless passport processing app at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja. This initiative aims to streamline the passport issuance process and alleviate the challenges faced by Nigerians both domestically and abroad. The minister highlighted that the new procedure is intended to reduce exploitation by middlemen who often create unnecessary barriers to extort applicants.
The contactless passport processing project is a collaboration between two Nigerian firms, Irish Smart Technology and New World, which have been testing the system for the past nine months. The app is designed to cover all requirements for obtaining a Nigerian passport, making the issuance process more seamless.
Additionally, Dr. Tunji-Ojo announced that starting in April next year, passport production will be centralized in Nigeria. Consequently, immigration attachés in foreign missions will no longer have the authority to approve visa issuance, a move aimed at improving efficiency in the process.
Furthermore, the minister disclosed that the President has approved the retention of 50% of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) internally generated revenue, allowing the service to enhance its operations and minimize delays in passport processing.