Passport reforms are in progress- Immigration boss

…as NIS rolls out another enhanced e-Passport facility in Kano, warns that there is no recruitment presently

By Palma Ileye

Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Isah Jere Idris, has reassured Nigerians that the passport reform process was still in progress, especially the fast track program designed specifically for those who returned from different parts of the globe for the Yuletide holiday.

Jere Idris stated this today in Kano during the commissioning of an enhanced e-Passport production facility in the State.

Represented at the event by the ACG Passport, Sadat Hassan, the CGI said he was particularly happy with the positive feedbacks from the various Passport offices across the country, which showed Nigerians’ level of appreciation on the novel initiative. 

“We intend to keep the two weeks processing timeframe open to all diasporas until January 31st when the program will come to an end.”

He added that the NIS was still committed to issuing Passports between three to six weeks, post biometric capture, where there were no technical hitches or application irregularities such as inconsistencies in the NIN of applicants. 

He emphasized that NIN remains MANDATORY for the issuance of Passports and the information in both documents must match.

“We reiterate our official position that Passport applicants should please avoid using third parties but go online and make their applications/payments themselves at passport.immigration.gov.ng. We continue to deal with the challenges of recalcitrant touts as well as few bad eggs amongst the personnel who are bent on sabotaging the reform process.”

He used the opportunity to warn members of the public of the nefarious activities of racketeering syndicates who have gone a step further to circulate fake news of Immigration recruitment exercise. 

The NIS he said, was not recruiting at this moment and will always publish such recruitment as usual, “anytime we secure Federal Government approval for recruitment.” 

The CGI also asserted that his management team have remained focused on improving service delivery with particular emphasis on efficient and seamless Passport administration, border security and welfare of Officers and Men of the Service. 

In a press statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, DCI Tony Akuneme, it read, “PLEASE NOTE: The NIS wishes to inform Nigerians that there are a total of 110,000 UNCOLLECTED passports in the 36 states of the country plus FCT. For this reason, the CGI has dispatched very senior officers of the rank of Assistant Comptrollers General to the various Zones and ensure these uncollected Passports are distributed to their owners 

Nigerians are equally advised to go to the Passport offices where they applied for Passports and check as over 60% Passport applications are completed by third parties who input wrong contact information for their “clients”. 

“We encourage Nigerians to endeavor to fill their Passport applications by themselves and to contact us using any of the under listed mediums please:

(a) phone: +2348033074681; +2348021819988

(b) twitter: @nigimmigration

(c) email: nis.pro@immigration.gov.ng