- Nigerians can soon apply for passports from home, with the new system allowing online applications for citizens aged 18 and older
- The Minister of Interior announced that passport production will be centralized in Nigeria starting April, improving efficiency and reducing exploitation
Nigerians will soon be able to apply for and receive their passports from home without needing to visit a processing center. This new system, however, will only apply to citizens aged 18 and older and those renewing expired passports. First-time applicants will still need to visit a center to submit their biometrics.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the announcement during a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, where the new contactless passport processing app was introduced.
The project aims to minimize human contact and is being implemented by Irish Smart Technology and New World. It has been in the testing phase for the past nine months.
According to Tunji-Ojo, the new technology is intended to simplify the process for Nigerians at home and abroad and protect them from being exploited by intermediaries.
He explained that the app would cover all the necessary steps for passport issuance, making it more efficient and faster for applicants.
Starting in April next year, passport production will be centralized in Nigeria. This means no immigration attaché abroad will have the authority to approve visa applications.
Additionally, the President has approved that 50% of the Nigeria Immigration Service’s (NIS) internally generated revenue will be retained by the agency to improve operations and speed up services such as passport processing.
The Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mrs. Kemi Nandep, emphasized that the shift to contactless passport processing aims to reduce physical hassles and enhance the security of Nigerian passports, aligning with international standards.
To boost operations and improve national security, 32 forward operational bases are also being constructed across the country.
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