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The Renewed Hope Agenda has brought new perspectives to bear on the passport issuance system in the country, writes Emmanuel Onani.
“If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better mousetrap than his neighbour, though he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door”, wrote a 19th century American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement.
Perhaps President Bola Tinubu had the above time-honoured quote in mind when he appointed Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as the Minister of Interior, saddled with supervisory roles over the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS); Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS); Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), as well as Federal Fire Service (FFS). The agencies form the bedrock upon which the nation’s internal security is built.
The Nigeria Immigration Service , for instance, has the core mandate of modern migration management, border control, passports issuance, entry/exit regulations, identity management among other internal security affairs, by virtue of the establishment (amendment) act of 2015. It is also empowered to combat smuggling of migrants (SOM).
It suffices to say that despite the clear and unambiguous mandate set out in the amended act, the NIS still contended with passport backlog that ran into hundreds of thousands, issues around border management and control, irregular migration challenges and its attendant cross-border threats to national security.
Fundamentally speaking, the Immigration Service conducted its activities manually, largely, hence the delay in capturing/enrollment, which had a reverberating effect on issuance of the document. Oftentimes, applicants, who had been captured, had to wait for as long as six months,or even more, to collect their passports.
In some instances, applicants were called back to start the process all over, owing to failure to obtain/submit proper data information. Indeed, the situation was frustrating for applicants, setback for the Service, and embarrassment to the nation in general.
Like a deus ex machina, Tunji-Ojo, left no one in doubt about his burning desire to turn the tide in favour of the State, in demonstration of the fact that, beyond a mantra, the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda offers a paradigm shift away from the status quo, which had denied Nigeria the much-anticipated pride of place in the comity of contemporary nations.
Background
Before the birthing of the Renewed Hope Agenda on May 29, 2023, records showed that there were over 200, 00 passport backlogs, resulting from the paper registration model that characterised the arrangement.
In addition to the anomaly was the nagging issue delay in passport acquisition, lack of adequate booklets, storage of government data with third party, multiple visa regimes causing complexity, avoidable delay in visa approvals. There was also the challenge of porosity of borders, couples with on-site visa application process.
The appointment of a new Comptroller General of Immigration (CGIS’), Kemi Nandap, hastened the reform regime of the current administration, as witnessed in the clearing of the over 200, 000 backlog of passports, through a ministerial directive.
Technology
Among the reforms that the “new” Immigration Service introduced, in the wake of the administration, was technology through digitalisation of passport enrolment, biometric data.
Through digital devises also, the NIS is able to undertake 24/7 monitoring of borders hands on, and real time.
Speaking during the inspection of the newly completed Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre in Abuja, Minister Tunji-Ojo had said, among others, that: “The era of backlogs and manual personalisation is over. Nigerians can now expect faster, more reliable service as we strengthen the integrity of our travel documents.
“This project underscores our resolve to build enduring institutions rather than systems dependent on individuals”.
Automation/Introduction of e-visa
As part of efforts to ease visa processing, the NIS sometimes in May 2025, launched the e-Visa Application System, potentially replacing the Visa-on-Arrival (VoA). This innovation allows online applications, electronic approvals, as well as implementation of digital landing/exit cards – all geared towards streamlining and monitoring security.
Against the backdrop of the new order, applicants now complete and submit everything online through the instrumentality of e-visa.immigration.gov.ng as a veritable enabler.
Consequent upon this, decisions are expected within forty eight (48) hours of online applications. Also, approved visas are issued electronically with QR codes for authentication purposes. In the face of this, is the fact that paper-based landing and exit forms are replaced by digital cards, linked to visa data for automatic penalty enforcement, where evidence of infractions are established.
In the main, the NIS also introduced the Digital Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Automated Card (CERPAC) system, with the objective of easing permanent residency management.
Without a doubt, the digital innovations will not only enhance efficiency, and propel transparency in immigration management, but also advanced the cause of national security through better data integration.
Reports say less than two months after the unveiling, an estimated fourteen million (14m) visa applications were processed.
This was also validated by the Minister, who had said, inter Alia: “I can tell you within the first six weeks of the e-visa, we were able to process over 14,000 visa applications.This happened within six weeks. So, by any standard in the world, is a pass mark.
“It is a huge one and of course, those little hitches, I tell you, within the next one to two weeks, will be history. We will correct them and we are already working on it,’To me, when somebody needs a visa to Nigeria, and all he is looking for is who knows the minister, who knows the CG Immigration, who knows the Permanent Secretary, that is not how to grow a country.
“We must make visa issue easy while not compromising national security. There must be that strategy. So for the e-visa, I want to assure you that it is here, and by the grace of God, is here to stay. There has been progress, and the simple truth is, we will continue to invest in our e-border governance.We will put more boots on the ground to make sure that every inch of the Nigerian border space is well protected”..
Installation of e-gates in
International Airports
In its determination to hasten passenger processing after arrival, while also automating border control measures, the Service has since begun the installation of electronic gates (E-GATES) across international airports in the country.
Available facts indicate that the Nigeria Immigration hopes to enhance national security through the reduction of manual checks,, side-by-side with improving overall migration management.
Also, the development is expected to create a seamless, faster, and more secure border experience, with attendant reduction in congestion, and reliance on direct officer interaction.
More than anything, the e-gates, which use biometric data (face/fingerprint) from passports for quick verification, allowing compliant travelers to pass without manual checks, will also Improve efficiency, better real-time border monitoring, strengthened national security against trafficking and crime, and a modern travel experience for Nigerians.
Stricter Visa Overstay Policy:
Under this arrangement, new regulations are imposed from penalties relating to visa overstays, to curbing irregular migration, which had been a major challenge for the authorities.
Following the arrangement, foreign nationals overstaying by three months face a five-year re-entry ban, while those overstaying a year face a ten-year ban. Nonetheless, an amnesty window was opened, with a view to allowing illegal immigrants to regularise their stay before the outlined sanctions are given effect.
Alongside the aforementioned the much-anticipated harmonisation of national identity databases such as the national identification number (NIN), Bank verification number (BVN), passport data, among other national identity platforms.
Launch Of ECOWAS Biometric Card:
Tunji-Ojo had expressed fulfillment over the ECOWAS Biometric Card inauguration, highlighting that the activation of the biometric card signalled “a powerful new beginning” for regional mobility and security cooperation. He added that the project’s prolonged delay did not reflect Nigeria’s capacity or ambition, adding that President Tinubu’s insistence on timely delivery accelerated its completion.
“It is unlike the Nigerian standard, which is why this delay was unusual,.The good news is that President Tinubu pushed for action, and today the promise has become reality. This is what leadership looks like — not talk, but delivery”, Tunji-Ojo stated.
While describing ENBIC as the backbone of a modern identity and security system capable of transforming border control and intelligence gathering, the Minister emphasised that reliable identification is essential to national and regional security, explaining that the new credential aligns with international public key infrastructures such as ICAO systems and will ease pressure on passport demand by providing a simpler travel option for movement within West Africa.
“If you are travelling only within ECOWAS, you no longer need a passport. This card is sufficient for all regional travel. With ENBIC, Nigeria is not only strengthening its borders but reaffirming its leadership in a region seeking safer mobility, deeper integration and a digitally driven future,” he added
He further connected the innovation with ongoing reforms in the nation’s travel and border framework, including the deployment of the UN-mandated Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) in 2024, which grants authorities early visibility of inbound travellers.
CONCLUSION
As commendable as the reforms , it is not yet “Uhuru” for the NIS, as there are still areas that demand urgent attention. This is not to diminish the efforts made by CGIS, Nandap, with the overwhelming support of the Minister, to put the NIS in a position of envy among the global comity of Immigration.
Some of the areas requiring attention are inadequate infrastructure – especially at some Zonal, State Commands, and Formations – budgetary releases, porous borders, and increasing migration.
