The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has unveiled plans to introduce a new biometric travel document known as the Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP), designed to assist Nigerians abroad whose passports have expired, been lost, or stolen, enabling them to return home securely and verifiably.
The announcement was made by the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes held in Abuja. The meeting, co-hosted by Nigeria and France, brought together regional and international stakeholders in migration management.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the NIS Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, the new document will replace the existing Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) as part of the Service’s continuing reforms to enhance identity management and border security.
Nandap explained that the STEP will serve as a temporary, one-time travel document valid only for single entry into Nigeria. It will be issued exclusively at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad.
“The STEP will serve as a temporary travel document for Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen, enabling them to return home in a secure and verifiable manner,” she said.
She added that the reform aligns with the NIS’s broader objective of strengthening identity protection and border governance systems in line with international best practices.
The Abuja meeting convened representatives from key organisations and institutions, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), and the European Union (EU), alongside delegates from several African and European countries.
Discussions focused on enhancing regional cooperation to tackle migrant smuggling and human trafficking, emphasising the three pillars of prevention, protection, and prosecution.
Delivering her keynote address titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses,” Nandap outlined the NIS’s broader reform agenda to improve migration management, foster international collaboration, and strengthen institutional capacity.
She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to active participation in global migration dialogues, stating that the NIS would continue to align its operations with international standards to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration.
“The Nigeria Immigration Service remains committed to facilitating secure mobility while protecting national borders and upholding the dignity of Nigerians wherever they are,” Nandap added.
