The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, officially announced that the passport application automation process will commence on January 8, 2024. This marks a significant milestone, enabling Nigerians to complete their passport applications online without needing in-person contact.
During an inspection of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) facilities in Abuja, Minister Tunji-Ojo, alongside Comptroller General Wura-Ola Adepoju, confirmed the initiation of training processes leading up to the live launch of the automation.
“We are good to go live,” Tunji-Ojo stated. “We are starting the training, and on January 8, the solution will be live and direct for Nigerians to have a good feel, a sweet experience based on the Renewed Hope of Mr. President. We have reduced human contact in passport acquisition to the minimum.”
The Minister emphasized that implementing the automated system enhances the country’s security architecture. The new process will facilitate the swift detection of fake passport applications, effectively reducing bottlenecks in the application process.
Tunji-Ojo reiterated the government’s commitment to eradicating counterfeit documents in passport applications. As part of this effort, document verification officers will be deployed in every local government area, ensuring a thorough examination of passport applications nationwide.
Minister Tunji-Ojo revealed the federal government’s dedication to achieving a fully automated passport application system in a preceding announcement last month. At that time, he stated that the automated application system was “99% done,” with the process including uploading passport photos and supporting documents.
“In fact, we’ve done the testing, and we should be going live in the next one week or thereabout,” Tunji-Ojo had mentioned. “As I said, that will ensure that Nigerians, all they need to do in an immigration centre, a passport centre, is just biometrics, just to take your fingerprints, that’s all.”
The impending launch of the automated passport application system aligns with the government’s commitment to modernizing and streamlining administrative processes, providing citizens with a more efficient and secure means of obtaining passports.
