…Passports will be issued centrally in Abuja from April 2025
Nigerians will soon be able to process and receive their Nigerian passports from the comfort of their homes without the hassle of making it look like they are actually being processed at a passport processing center.
However, contactless passports can only be processed and obtained by Nigerians over the age of 18 and those applying for the replacement of an expired passport, while new applicants must visit a passport processing center. Biometrics must be registered. for their passports.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, announced the new strategy at a stakeholder forum in Abuja on Friday where the contactless passport processing app was developed.
Saturday Vanguard has revealed that a contactless passport processing project aimed at eliminating as much human contact as possible is being run by a Nigerian company called Irish Smart Technology and New World, which has been testing the process for the past nine years. I understand that the processing is jointly carried out by two companies. A few months.
The minister said the new technology was adopted to reduce the burden normally encountered by Nigerians at home and abroad seeking to obtain a Nigerian passport, and to protect them from exploitation by middlemen who put up artificial hurdles and steal money. He explained that it was done.
Mr. Tunji Ojo disclosed that the app was designed to meet all requirements for the issuance of a Nigerian passport and enable applicants to seamlessly obtain travel documents in record time.The minister announced that from April next year, passport production will be centralized in Nigeria, as immigration officials at any foreign mission will no longer be able to approve the issuance of visas.
The Minister also announced that 50% of the revenue generated internally by the NIS will be used to handle the majority of NIS operations and reduce delays in passport processing and other critical services provided by the NIS to Nigerians in the country. It was also revealed that the president had approved the retention of the percentage. abroad.
He also said that at least 32 forward operating bases are being built across the country to strengthen the activities of the National Intelligence Service and strengthen national security.
NIS Inspector General Kemi Nandep told stakeholders that the move to issue contactless passports was designed to reduce the inconvenience associated with physical processing and strengthen the security of Nigerian passports in line with international best practices. He said there is.
