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Japa: NIS Produced 2.1m Passports In 2023

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The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Caroline Adepoju, said the agency produced over two million passports in 2023.

Adepoju disclosed this during the diaspora virtual lecture series with the theme, “New Passport Policy/Processes for Nigerians in the Diaspora Confirmation” organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.

Adepoju, in a statement signed by the NiDCOM spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Tuesday, said the service “produced 1,033,506 million passports in 2021; another 1,597,729 million in 2022, while in 2023 over a record 2,141,300 million.”

She emphasised that the new process of passport delivery would significantly reduce human interaction, thereby “eliminating inconveniences associated with passport applications and saving time for both applicants and immigration personnel.”

Also, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who spoke at the event reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian government towards delivering a seamless and efficient passport experience for Nigerians, both within the country and in the diaspora.

Tunji-Ojo emphasised the importance of providing top-notch service befitting Nigeria’s stature as the giant of Africa.

According to him, effective from the 8th of March 2024, Nigerians will benefit from a contactless passport application process, reducing the time required to complete the entire process to a maximum of seven to 10 minutes.

He stressed the importance of leveraging technology to simplify passport acquisition, stating that Nigerians will only need their National Identification Number for passport applications and biometrics.

“Through an automated system, data will be pulled from the National Identity Management Commission database to fill application forms, reducing the risk of identity fraud and ensuring a single point of contact for citizens,” he said.

The Minister added that plans are underway to automate the passport enrollment process, enabling online application, biometric capture, and home delivery of passports, thus eliminating the need for physical visits to passport offices.

The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission,  Abike Dabiri-Erewa commended the Minister’s efforts, highlighting the significance of the Diaspora Lecture Series in keeping Nigerians abroad informed about programmes and reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.


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