Nigerians to pay N1,000 NIN fee for passports

From Abubakar Yunusa, ABUJA

Nigerians applying for passports will be charged N1000 in Nigeria for the verification of their National Identification Number.
The National Identity Management Commission disclosed this in a statement signed by its Head, Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke, on Monday.
According to the commission, the fee is to improve the quality of service, accuracy, and speed of passport services through timely verification of NIN.
It stated that it agreed on this framework with the Nigerian Immigration Service. NIMC said, “This new arrangement is in furtherance of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy’s directive to streamline passport application, renewal, and issuance processes.
“Consequently, a NIN Verification fee would be charged for each Nigerian passport application for this service.”
It added, “NIMC and NIS have agreed on a revised applicant journey that will significantly improve the speed of passport issuance /re-issuance and reduce the traffic visiting the NIS office(s). The NIN service, fees, and the new NIS process will go live on 1st April.”
According to the commission, Nigerians will pay N1000 for NIN verification in Nigeria, $5 in other African countries, and $15 in other countries.
NIN is supposed to tie an individual’s record together, according to the NIMC. An individual’s demographic data, fingerprints, head-to-shoulder facial picture, other biometric data, and digital signature are supposed to be lodged in the National Identity Database and confirmed and verified through NIN. Recently, the Acting Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Isah Idris, blamed the delay in the issuance of passports on the integration of data between NIS, and NIMC.
He said, “The delay in the processing of passport applications could be as a result of the integration of data between NIS and the NIMC, which also, in turn, integrate with the BVN data of applicants.”