By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian government towards delivering a seamless and efficient passport experience for Nigerians, both within the country and in the diaspora.
This, he said, was the directive 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 of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) entitled: “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 him, “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.
The Minister, according to a statement by Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun,
Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, NiDCOM, Abuja, 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 harped 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.
According to him, “Through an automated system, data will be pulled from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database to fill application forms, reducing the risk of identity fraud and ensuring a single point of contact for citizens”.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
