Nigerians would no longer need to wait for months to get their passports as the government is making efforts to make passport application and processing seamless for citizens.
Nigerians face a lot of hassles in getting passports at the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, offices across the country from bribing NIS officials who are involved in racketeering to dealing with officials’ negligence of duties to avoidable delays in the processing.
But by pegging the timeline for the processing of passport applications to two weeks, Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo is turning things around for the better.
Other major developments being initiated by Minister Tunji-Ojo to reduce the stress and delay Nigerians experience during passport application include the home delivery of passports to applicants. The Minister said this will begin in February 2024.
“By February next year, with collaboration and partnership with other relevant stakeholders, Nigerians will have their passports delivered to their homes, offices, and other locations of their choice,” he said on Monday, October 9, adding that the process would be extended to the visa application process.
Also in motion is the full automation of the passport application process. The Minister said that by December 2023, Nigerians will be able to upload their passport photographs during the online application.
Before now, after filling out the online form, Nigerians go to any NIS office for capturing and biometrics. Minister Tunji-Ojo said that era is gone, only the biometrics process will be done physically.
“Hopefully by December, people will not need to go to passport offices and they are snapping or taking pictures. This is 2023. People will be able to upload their passport photographs online with specifications,” he said on Wednesday, October 4.
“Also, your supporting documents should be uploaded online so that when you go to the passport office, it will just be for biometrics and within five minutes you have left there. We don’t want the past situation whereby people spend the whole day at the passport offices.”
- President Tinubu Appoints New Service Chiefs - October 25, 2025
- Niger Student Arrested After Criticising Governor Bago on Facebook - October 25, 2025
- Court Grants Sowore, Kanu’s Lawyer, and Others Bail - October 25, 2025