The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) said it has drawn up plans to automate the travel passport application process.
The acting Comptroller General of NIS, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju revealed this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday, July 20, 2023.
Adepoju said that the Service is working to end the human interface in passport application and renewal processes across the federation.
According to Adepoju, the new process the NIS wants to embark upon will help to reduce the stress and delay Nigerians experience while applying for passports.
“One thing Nigerians know about the Nigeria Immigration Service is the issuance of the Nigerian passport and we know the number of Nigerians that have applied for passports in the past two years has been very high and unprecedented,” Adepoju said.
“Our applications are available online and we are trying to sensitize our applicants that they should go online for these applications to avoid patronizing louts,” Adepoju added.*
She, however, reminded Nigerians that because the passport is a security document, it will take some time before they are issued, stating that there are a number of processes like carrying out security checks, address verification, among others.
Adepoju however, urged Nigerians to always start passport renewal application six months before expiration, adding that fresh applicants don’t need to wait till they need the passport to start application.
“So, I try as much as possible to let people know that if you are renewing your passport, don’t wait until it is completely expired. You can start your application process when you have six months validity on it. Then for fresh applicants, they don’t have to wait until the very last moment when they need the passport,” Ajepoju asserted.
“This is because for a fresh application, it takes six weeks to get the passport ready, while it takes three weeks for renewal,” she said.
“Considering the crowd in the passport offices at the moment, the Service is making an effort to ensure that applicants for passport renewal don’t need to come to the offices since their data have already been captured,” the NIS CG affirmed.
