By Stellamaries Amuwa
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has reiterated the commitment of the government towards delivering seamless and efficient passport experience for Nigerians, both within the country and in the diaspora.
He noted that the directive was from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to him and other cabinet members towards attainment of the renewed hope for the nation.
Speaking at the inaugural 2024 Diaspora Webinar Lecture Series titled: “New Passport Policy/Processes for Nigerians in the Diaspora,” Tunji-Ojo emphasised the importance of providing top-notch service befitting Nigeria’s stature as the giant of Africa.
According to the Minister, effective from the 8th.of March 2024, Nigerians will benefit from a contactless passport application process, reducing the time required to complete the entire process to a maximum of seven to 10 minutes.
“This monumental reform is part of the overarching efforts to modernise the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and enhance service delivery to citizens,” he said.
Highlighting the achievements and sweeping reforms within the Ministry and its parastatals, particularly the NIS, the Minister underscored milestones such as the clearance of over 200,000 passport backlogs within three weeks of his assumption of office and the deployment of E-Gates at international airports to streamline entry and exit processes.
He also outlined plans for the installation of a modern control centre across international airports in Abuja and Lagos, aimed at enhancing immigration officers’ capacity and providing Nigerians with a seamless travel experience.
He stressed on the importance of leveraging on technology to simplify passport acquisition, stating that Nigerians will only need their National Identification Number (NIN) for passport applications and bio metrics.
Earlier, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, commended the Minister’s efforts, highlighting the significance of the Diaspora Lecture Series in keeping Nigerians abroad informed about programmes and reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
In her presentation, the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, emphasised that the new process would significantly reduce human interaction, thereby eliminating inconveniences associated with passport applications and saving time for both applicants and immigration personnel.
Adepoju said the Service has produced 1,033,506 million passports in 2021, another 1, 597,729 million in 2022, while in 2023 over a record 2,141,300 million (were produced amidst various challenges.
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