NIS Suspends Processing Of New Passports For Two Weeks
Comptroller-General, Nigeria
Immigration Service (NIS), Mr. Muhammad Babandede has announced the suspension
of receiving and processing of all fresh passport applications nationwide until
June 1.
Babandede, while briefing
reporters yesterday in Abuja, said a new passport regime would take effect from
same date.
He said the suspension was to
allow for clearance of backlog of all passport applications received before May
17, adding that all backlogs were expected to be cleared by May 31.
NIS boss noted that the backlog
figure currently stood at 136,364, comprising 17,906 for foreign applicants,
71,644 local and 46,814 enhanced local applicants.
What that means, according to
him, is that all passport offices nationwide will not be opened to public until
June 1, adding that task force supervised by senior officers were being
deployed for the exercise.
He also said all applicants of
the backlog would be contacted to collect their passports from state command
offices and not passport offices.
NIS boss disclosed that the new
passport regime, when effected, would ensure the delivery period of six weeks
from the date of submission of applications if there was no local objection.
With effect from June 1, the
minister has directed that the issuance of passport in Nigeria will now take
six weeks for applicants to collect their passports,” he said.
Babandede also announced that
renewal applicants could also apply six months to the expiration of their old
passports to avoid rushing to apply a day to their trips.
He said the measure would
eradicate corruption associated with passport issuance, adding that the service
had also set up fast track centre for those that require express service and
willing to pay more.
According to him, it is a
standard practice everywhere in the world, including UK and U.S.
He said NIS had improved its
services at the foreign missions, adding that the foreign passport offices
would not close during the period but would ensure that all backlogs were ready
for collection before June 1.
He assured the public that the
Nigerian passport was currently one of the most secure passports in the world
due to enhanced security features that made it difficult to be compromised.
He added that efforts were
ongoing to streamline passport issuance abroad to ensure seamless service
delivery to Nigerians.
