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The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Wura-Ola Adepoju, revealed on Wednesday that the production of green passports would take two weeks from the point of application. Adepoju, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program, expressed concern about the significant number of uncollected passports at the Ikoyi office and emphasized the need for thorough screening during the application process.
Starting March 8, 2024, Nigerians can renew their travel passports through a contactless application process, according to Adepoju. She outlined that the renewal process would leverage existing biometric data, allowing applicants to submit renewals or re-issues from the comfort of their homes. The biometrics, particularly fingerprints, will be cross-referenced with the immigration database to streamline the issuance of passports.
Kemi Nandap, the Deputy Comptroller General, shared that since the launch of the passport application automation on January 8, 2024, over 46,000 applications (both fresh and renewal) have been received. Nandap emphasized the importance of providing accurate information on the Service’s website while assuring Nigerians of the seamless and secure nature of the new application system.
Adepoju further explained that the portal would accommodate changes to data for passport applications, clarifying that the automation’s objective is not to displace immigration officials but to enhance efficiency and national security. She emphasized that automation aims to make the application process smoother without jeopardizing job security.
Addressing concerns about non-Nigerians obtaining the green passport, Nandap highlighted ongoing collaborations with critical stakeholders, including the National Population Commission (NPC) and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON). Adepoju added that despite the contactless and seamless nature of the process, on-site officers would conduct secondary checks to verify the Nigerian identity of applicants, ensuring that the system remains robust against fraudulent attempts by non-Nigerians to acquire Nigerian passports.
