The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has opened a new e-passport facility in Zaria, Kaduna State, with the aim of improving passport administration in the state. The Comptroller General of the NIS, Isah Jere, inaugurated the new office on Wednesday, highlighting that the opening of the new facility was part of a broader strategy to enhance passport administration, border management, and staff welfare.
Jere also noted that the enhanced e-passport features more advanced security measures and is considered one of the most secure passports in the world. This new facility is expected to simplify and speed up passport application processes, while also ensuring the security of the documents themselves.
By opening the new e-passport facility, the NIS is reinforcing its commitment to improve its services and provide more accessible passport administration. The NIS also intends to enhance border management and ensure the welfare of its staff.
This new facility is part of the NIS's efforts to provide Nigerians with a better passport application experience, as well as to ensure that their passports are more secure. The new e-passports are expected to provide a higher level of security, which should lead to a reduction in cases of identity theft and other forms of passport fraud.
The enhanced e-passport features the latest security technology, making it more difficult to counterfeit or forge. This should help reduce the number of cases of fake or stolen passports, which have been a significant issue in Nigeria in recent years. By improving the security features of passports, the NIS is making it more challenging for criminals to exploit them for illegal activities.
The opening of this new facility is expected to lead to an increase in the number of people applying for passports in Zaria, as the process has been made more accessible and efficient. This should be welcome news for those who need to travel abroad for work, study, or leisure, as passports are essential documents for international travel.
“Nigeria is the first country in Africa to migrate to this type of passport. Today, as we inaugurate this Passport office, Zaria joins several other centres across the country and abroad.
“These include FCT-Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Canada, UK and USA that have been successfully migrated to the enhanced ePassport regime.
“May I quickly mention that the enhanced e-Passport and the ordinary electronic passport are running concurrently until a convenient time when all our centres would have been fully migrated to the former,” he said.
Jere said that the enhanced electronic passport was in three categories of 32-page 5-year validity; 64-page 5-year validity and; 64-page 10-year validity for adults.
“It may interest you to note that Zaria is unique in the sense that it is the first passport office in Nigeria to be situated outside a state capital.
“As we roll out this enhanced travel document, we are confident that instances of delays in processing Passports will be taken care of,” he said.
The NIS boss advised applicants to follow guidelines and make use of the online application and payment platform: passport.immigration.gov.ng.
He said that it was equally important for prospective passport applicants to ensure that they confirmed that their NIN details were the same as their passport application details.
This, he said, was to avoid a situation where the applications could not be processed due to a data mismatch.
“I enjoin those who have any complaints to use the following channels to resolve any issue. Twitter: @nigimmigration; Facebook: @nigimmigration; portal.immigration.gov.ng to interact and chat with our virtual assistant; or call +2348021819988.”
Speaking, the Emir of Zazzau, Nuhu Bamalli appreciated the CG for citing a new passport office in Zaria, saying it would relieve people of the stress of going to Kaduna and Abuja to process their passports.
According to the emir, more than half of the people who patronise the passport office in Kaduna were from Zaria and the environs.
“We appreciate this move as it will relieve us all from the stress of getting a new passport or renewing it,” he said. (NAN)