Nigerians To Receive Passports From Home As Government Introduces Contactless Processing

Nigerians will soon be able to process and receive their passports from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the need for physical appearances at passport processing centers. However, this new service will only be available to Nigerians aged 18 and above and for those renewing expired passports. First-time applicants will still need to visit a passport center for biometric registration.

The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this announcement at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja on Friday, where the new contactless passport processing app was unveiled. The project is a joint effort between two Nigerian firms, Irish Smart Technology and New World, which have been testing the system for the past nine months.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo explained that the new system aims to reduce the challenges Nigerians face in obtaining passports, particularly those living abroad, and prevent exploitation by middlemen. The app will streamline the entire passport application process, ensuring a seamless and efficient experience.

In addition, the minister revealed that starting April next year, passport production will be centralized in Nigeria, with no foreign missions allowed to approve visa issuance. He also announced that President Tinubu has approved the retention of 50% of the Nigeria Immigration Service’s (NIS) internally generated revenue to enhance operations and reduce processing delays.

The Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mrs. Kemi Nandep, emphasized that the move to contactless passport issuance would not only ease the physical burden on applicants but also improve the security of Nigerian passports in line with global standards.