The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced a significant milestone in Nigeria’s passport processing history, revealing that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) can now deliver between 4,000 and 5,000 passports within five hours — a first in the service’s 62-year existence.
Tunji-Ojo made the announcement on Thursday during an inspection of the newly commissioned Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS headquarters in Abuja. He was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani, and the Comptroller General of the NIS, Kemi Nanna Nandap.
Speaking after the inspection, the Minister stated:
“With these strategic infrastructural investments, which did not cost the government a single kobo, the NIS can now personalise over 1,000 passports in one hour.”
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He contrasted the new capabilities with previous output levels, noting:
“To put it into perspective, long before this development, the service could only produce an average of 250 to 300 passports per day. But today, under just five working hours, the service can now deliver between 4,500 and 5,000 passports.”
Tunji-Ojo highlighted the centralisation of passport production as a key development, marking an end to the previous decentralised system that saw passports produced at various centres across the country and abroad.
“As a major milestone, for the first time in 62 years of the service, this centralisation puts an end to the production of our passports at multiple centres across the world,” he added.
The Minister described the achievement as a testament to the government’s commitment to reforming the immigration system and improving service delivery for Nigerian citizens at home and in the diaspora.
The Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre is expected to significantly reduce delays in passport issuance and strengthen the integrity of the process through enhanced security and efficiency.
