The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has taken a major leap forward in its operations with the launch of a new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre in Abuja, raising its daily production capacity from just about 300 passports to an impressive 5,000.
The facility was commissioned by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who described the reform as “long overdue.” He explained that for over six decades, the passport production process had been slow and fragmented, with machines producing only between 250 and 300 passports each day.
“With this centralised system, we can now personalise 1,000 passports every hour, translating to about 5,000 a day. This is a complete game changer for Nigerians at home and abroad,” the minister said.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo assured citizens that the days of endless waiting for passports are coming to an end, adding that the government’s new target is to deliver approved passports within one week. In certain cases, he noted, the documents could even be ready within 24 hours.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, echoed the minister’s optimism, stating that the new facility will not only enhance efficiency but also guarantee more uniform and secure travel documents.
According to the Interior Ministry, the new system effectively ends the decentralised production model that had been in place since the establishment of the NIS in 1963. The centralisation reform, it said, is part of a broader effort to modernise the service, strengthen security, and make passports more accessible to Nigerians across the globe.
Report by: Isaac Blessing | Edited by: Chris Odjomah |