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From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Federal Government has said with the new reforms put in place at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), it will take maximum of six weeks for Nigerians to obtain new international electronic passports, while renewal of the passports will also take a maximum of three weeks.
The reforms include introduction of digital platform through which applicants can pay for their international passport online, without physical contacts with immigration officials, until it is time for enrollment, that has to do with biometric data capturing. The six weeks for new applicants or the three weeks for reissue, will count from the point of enrollment.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, made the disclosure on Monday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during the roll-out of the enhanced e-Passport with polycarbonate data page and other security features, as well as commissioning of the Ibadan Production Centre, which is expected to serve Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti and Kwara States.
He explained that the Federal Government has digitalised payments for the Nigerian Passports, advising citizens to avoid patronizing touts and unscrupulous officials, when applying for the documents.
His words: “Part of the reforms is the migration of passport application and payments to digital platforms. But we regret to observe that applicants still patronise touts and unscrupulous officials in the hope to beat the system and get expedited services. When they were disappointed, they come to report to us. Of course, we have zero tolerance for corruption and subversion of due process. We therefore take seriously any such report and invoke the necessary disciplinary measures.
“But I will implore applicants to stop patronising touts and our officials directly. Follow the process we put in place. Apply for passports and pay online. The only engagement with our staff is the enrolment of your biometrics. Patronising touts and passport office officials doesn’t always end well, but rather serves to defeat our purpose of eliminating corruption and infusing integrity to the passport administration process.”
Speaking on the new application process, the minister noted that a new timeline has been set for fresh passport application and reissue.
“Our template stipulates maximum six weeks for obtaining new passports and maximum of three weeks for renewal. We work within this schedule to enable us investigate any claims made by applicants and verify them, for the final document we issue them to have integrity. If there are challenges, wait, eventually you will get your passport before your due date of travel, if you apply early enough. You will still have long enough time to apply for visa and other travel documents.
“Nowhere in the world is passport administration done on wait-and-get basis except in extreme emergencies. The only wait-and-get passport is passport photograph,” the minister stated.
On the new enhanced passport being rolled out in Ibadan, the minister noted that the passport is an improved document with high security features, saying: “The Enhanced e-Passport is a great improvement on the Biometric Passport technology, which Nigeria adopted in 2007 as a deliberate step towards curbing forgery, impersonation and other forms of travel document fraud associated with the old Machine-Readable Passport regime.
“It is the latest technology in passport making anywhere in the world and only few countries have it. It is the most secure identity document ever produced. We are proud to make it available to Nigerians.”
Aregbesola stated further that in spite of challenges, a total of 2.7million international passports were issued so far between 2019 and and third week in December 2021, adding that only in 2021, a total of 600,000 passport booklets have been distributed all over the country and overseas.
Speaking during the event, the Acting Comptroller-General of the NIS, Isah Jere Idris, reiterated the call by the minister for citizens to stop patronising touts.
His words: “As you have heard from the minister, we expect that the only time citizens will have contact with our officers is during the biometric capturing. You are to apply and pay only. Soon, we are launching an appointment management system and a tracking system for you to know anywhere you are in the world, the process of your passport application.”
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Segun Ogunwuyi, commended the efforts of the NIS, saying the state would continue to support the service and other agencies of the Federal Government in the state in performing its statutory duties. He also sought for cooperation between the state and the Ministry of Interior on the upgrade of Ibadan Airport to International standards because immigration officials have significant roles to play at the airport.
The ceremony was attended by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III; Ekefa Balogun of Ibadanland, Chief Sarafadeen Alli, who represented the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso I; Onirun of Oke Irun in Osun State, as well as service chiefs of all the paramilitary services in the state amongst others.
