Hottestgistnaija.com
ABUJA, FEB. 6, 2024:
Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior 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.
According to him, , this 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.
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 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.
“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”, he said.
The Minister added that plans are underway to automate the passport
enrollment process, enabling online application, biometric capture, and
home delivery of passports, thus eliminating the need for physical
visits to passport offices.
The Minister addressed concerns raised by participants from various
continents regarding current challenges in passport application and
delivery processes, assuring them of the government’s commitment to
resolving these issues soonest.
The former lawmaker urged Nigerians to take pride in acquiring their
passports, as the new process heralds a new era of hope and progress for
the nation and its diaspora community, adding that the Ministry will
partner with NIDCOM.
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.
She, however, said that many Nigerians did not come forward to pick up
their passports at various centres she visited recently both within and
outside Nigeria, promising that from March, there will be positive
improvement in passport production without going through any stress or
interventions.
This is NiDCOM’s first diaspora virtual lecture series in 2024 .
