In November, the Nigerian government had said it had inaugurated additional enhanced e-passport facilities at selected Nigerian Embassies in Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria and Switzerland.
The Nigerian government has promised that the automation of the passport application process will start online on January 8, 2024.
This was made known by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, saying that Nigerians could apply and complete their passport application process online without human contact.
He said, “We are good to go live,” Tunji-Ojo said Monday in Abuja during an inspection of facilities of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) alongside the Comptroller General (CG) of the Service, Wura-Ola Adepoju.
“We are starting the training and on January 8, the solution will be live and direct for Nigerians to have a good feel, a sweet experience based on the Renewed Hope of Mr President.
“We have been able to reduce human contact in passport acquisition to the minimum,” the minister said, adding that the new initiative would enhance the security architecture of the country as well as the comfort and convenience of Nigerians.
Tunji-Ojo added that the government intended to put an end to the practice of people presenting phoney documents to apply for passports, even as he announced that the Service now had document verification officers in all local government areas across the country to review passport applications.
In November, the Nigerian government had said it had inaugurated additional enhanced e-passport facilities at selected Nigerian Embassies in Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria and Switzerland.
This had been stated by the Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO) Dr Adedotun Aridegbe, noting that the minister inaugurated the facilities at the Nigerian Embassy in Rome.
He had explained that the new passport processing centres were part of efforts to streamline passport processing and acquisition for Nigerians residing in the diaspora.
According to the statement, Tunji-Ojo emphasised the dedication of President Bola Tinubu’s government to citizens’ diplomacy and the enhancement of services to the diaspora community.
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