The federal government has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, marking a transformative shift to a single, centralised system for the first time in over six decades. This significant reform, announced by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), aims to streamline the passport production process and enhance service delivery.
In a statement on Thursday, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, unveiled Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja. This groundbreaking shift ends a 62-year history of decentralized passport production across multiple locations since the establishment of the NIS in 1963.
Tunji-Ojo emphasised that the new system was fully operational and would drastically improve the efficiency of passport services. “With the old machines, we could only produce between 250 to 300 passports a day. The new system, however, can process between 4,500 to 5,000 passports daily, enabling us to meet the high demand in just four to five hours,” the Minister explained.
The new centralised system promises faster passport processing, with the government now aiming for a one-week delivery timeframe, down from the previously stated two weeks. This leap forward in automation and system optimisation is seen as a crucial step toward meeting the government’s goal of timely and efficient service for Nigerian passport applicants.
Tunji-Ojo also highlighted that centralisation would bring Nigeria in line with global standards, ensuring consistency and improving the international integrity of Nigerian travel documents. This reform aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s broader agenda for national transformation, enhancing the capacity of the NIS while driving a culture of efficiency across the country’s passport system.
The minister concluded by calling the development a “game-changer,” further reinforcing that the new system would not only benefit Nigerians but also contribute to a much-needed overhaul of the nation’s passport services.