FG Committed To Easing Passport Challenge Experienced By Nigerians - Aregbesola 

The Federal Government of Nigeria has restated that it would improve service delivery and streamline operations in order to ameliorate the challenges experienced by Nigerians when applying for and obtaining the Nigerian Passport.

This was made known by Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior at the commissioning of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Ilesa Passport Front Office and Production Centre, Ilesa on Tuesday.

Aregbesola who revealed that the government is working assiduously to adequately address the growing number of Nigerians who need the passport for other purposes noted that the surge in the number of applications necessitates the establishment of more passport front offices across the country.

He also observed that it is born out of the determination of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to further make the process seamless.

While disclosing that fresh applications would take six weeks after biometric data capture, the Minister added that renewal would require three weeks.

"Fresh application will take six weeks after biometric data capture, while renewal requires just three weeks.

"To respond to the challenge, we increased our production capacity.

"In 2021, we produced one million booklets. Last year, we increased production to 1.8 million, nearly doubling our efforts.

"We shall keep working at it to ensure that we provide for as many Nigerians that are desirous of the passport.

"We need as many centres as possible to accommodate the huge number of those applying every day, day and night, on our online platform, to reduce the waiting time before data capture to the barest minimum.

"Our target is to reduce the waiting period for biometric data capture to not more than one week, after application."

While urging new applicants for the Nigerian passport to apply early so as not to fall in the hands of scammers and other opportunists, he maintained that the reforms the Buhari administration has introduced to passport administration are meant to ease operation and confer integrity on the Nigerian passport. 

The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on his part commended the minister for being a worthy ambassador of the state, reassuring him of the state's support in all ramifications.

Governor Adeleke who affirmed his resolve as a progressive, promised to complete all projects of the former Governor abandoned by the immediate past administration.

Earlier in his address, the Controller General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Isah Jere Idris, commended the leadership of the Ministry of Interior, for providing transformational leadership for the service.

Idris added that efforts have been made to make sure that Nigerians were able to easily access the Passport and other services so as to guarantee internal security in the most convenient way.