The Bola Tinubu administration on Monday scored another first as the Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has launched the first-ever international passport automation system in Nigeria.
Persecondnews reports that the system which was launched in Abuja on Monday, will enable users to apply for their international passport by uploading their passport photographs and other supporting documents from their homes.
According to the minister, the portal which works for both fresh applications and renewal of passports, will reduce human contact and overcrowding at passport offices nationwide.
He added that the new system is important in strengthening the country’s security architecture and safeguarding Nigerian residents’ comfort and convenience.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) had deployed document verification personnel across all local government areas in the country to improve document verification.
“We are good to go live. We are starting the training, and today, the solution will be live and direct for Nigerians to have a good feel, a sweet experience based on the Renewed Hope of Mr. President.
“The training process, already underway, is a crucial step toward the full implementation of the automated system,” Persecondnews quotes the minister as saying.
The minister, who expressed confidence in the reduction of human contact during passport acquisition, said it would also ensure a smoother and more efficient process for applicants.
In addition, Tunji-Ojo said the initiative was not only a leap towards efficiency but also a significant enhancement to the country’s security architecture.
He had announced in December 2023 that the government was working to ensure a fully automated system of passport application in the country.
The minister, who took over from Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who served for eight years under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, had said the automated application system was “99 per cent done,” adding that the process would include uploading passport photos and supporting documents.
He noted that Nigerian applicants who want 32-page passports with five-year validity would pay N25,000, while those who want 64-page passports with a 10-year validity would pay N70,000.
Meanwhile, foreign applicants, who wish to apply for passports with a five-year validity period and 32 pages, will pay $130, while those who prefer passports with a 10-year validity period and 64 pages will pay $230.
Persecondnews recalls that hitherto acquisition of passport by Nigerians has been cumbersome and tortuous, taking several months characterized by extortion and corruption.
The manual process from filling out the forms to data capture and passport collection takes months.
5 simple steps you can take to enrol for your international passport:
Step 1
Proceed to the Official Website http://passport.immigration.gov.ng . Fill your NIN to auto-fill your data from NIMC.
Step 2
Complete other data fields as required.
Step 3
Upload your passport photograph that meets (ICAO Standards) and other supporting documents.
Step 4
Walk into an Immigration Office for your Biometric Capture.
Step 5
Your passport is ready for collection within 2 weeks.
To renew your passport:
1. You must have NIN
2. Have an old passport number
3. Have a passport photograph that meets ICAO standards.
4. Have your documents such as birth certificate, local government certificate of origin, and other documents ready.
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