Nigeria to begin local production of passport

Nigeria has rolled out plans to begin the local production of international passports in the country.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on Wednesday night.

“Today, I had a meeting with an indigenous technology company presenting a proposal on localizing our international passport production,” posted Tunji-Ojo on his X handle.

The production of international passports by Nigeria in other countries appears to be constituting a delay in the process of acquiring the document.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) unveiled the fully automated passport application system on March 8, 2024.

With this, applicants, including Nigerians in the diaspora, are expected to enjoy a seamless experience in registering for new passports and renewing expired ones.

In another development, Tunji-Ojo recently convened a brainstorming session with the Ministry of Interior’s technical partners, top immigration officers, and ministry officials.

The Minister said the mission is to revolutionize the visa application process, particularly for short-stay visitors such that Nigeria can streamline procedures, reduce stress and enhance accessibility through the automation of the process.

“It is my belief that by fostering a more welcoming environment for tourists eager to explore our vibrant culture and rich artistic heritage, we are on another step towards achieving the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.