Nigeria Centralizes Passport Issuance After 62 Years, Targets 5,000 Daily Prints.

Nigeria Centralizes Passport Issuance After 62 Years, Targets 5,000 Daily Prints.

The Nigerian World.

The news as it trends.

In a major reform, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended decentralized passport production after 62 years.

Previously, passports were printed at multiple centers across the country, often causing delays and inconsistencies.

Now, all passport personalization and printing will be handled at a single, centralized facility in Abuja.

According to Interior Minister Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, this move is expected to boost efficiency, reduce fraud, and improve delivery speed, processing up to 5,000 passports daily.

The government aims to cut wait times to just one week. Nigerians can now expect more uniformity, transparency, and faster service when obtaining their travel documents.

It’s important to note that centralization applies only to the personalization and printing process.

Local passport offices in cities like Lagos, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt will continue to operate as application and biometric capture centers.

Applicants will still submit forms and undergo fingerprinting locally, while the final passport is printed in Abuja and sent back to the local office for pickup.

This reform marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s modernization efforts and aligns with global standards for passport issuance.