The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced that it is “automating its passport application process” to reduce stress and delay for Nigerians who want to obtain or renew their passports. The Acting Comptroller General of NIS, Caroline Adepoju, said in an interview on Channels Television that the Service is trying to eliminate human interface and make the applications available online.
She explained that the passport is a security document that requires several processes such as security checks and address verification before it can be issued. She advised Nigerians to start their passport renewal application six months before expiration, and fresh applicants to apply as early as possible. She said that for a fresh application, it takes six weeks to get the passport ready, while it takes three weeks for renewal.
She also said that the Service is working on a memo to propose that passport renewal can be done by online application without visiting the passport offices, since the data of the applicants have already been captured. She said this will reduce the crowd in the passport offices and make the process more convenient for Nigerians.
The automation of the passport application process is part of the efforts of the NIS to improve its service delivery and meet the expectations of Nigerians.
