By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s move to automate the passport application process will begin on Monday, January 8, 2024, says the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
The Minister said from next week Monday, Nigerians would be able to apply and complete their passport application process online without human contact.
“We are good to go live,” Mr 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, Mrs 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.” Mr Tunji-Ojo added.
He said this would help to decongest the influx of people at the already established centres as well as fast-track service operations in the country and the diaspora.
“We have been able to reduce human contact in passport acquisition to the minimum,” the minister said, adding that the new initiative will enhance the security architecture of the country as well as the comfort and convenience of Nigerians.
Mr Tunji-Ojo said the government wants to bring an end to the era of people bringing fake documents for passport application, even as he announced that the service now has document verification officers across all local government areas in the country to scrutinise passport applications in the country.
This development comes less than two months after the minister announced that the ministry is set to create new passport processing and collection centres.
Speaking at the sixth edition of the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) and the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative (NDSI) in Abuja in November, he informed that a fully biometric immigration application process as obtainable in most foreign countries to reduce human contact and convenient passport collection was underway before February 2024.
According to him, “Nigerians at home and in the diaspora deserve the best. They don’t have to suffer or sweat to get the Nigerian Passport”.
The Minister added that a team from the ministry will kick-start supervision of the E8- Mandate in the UK, as the first place on the assignment.
