The Federal Government on Friday unveiled technologically driven reforms for international passport issuance for its citizens by setting a 96-hour processing timeline, insisting that the production of the travel document should not be seen as a privilege, but a fundamental right of its nationals.
Besides the revolutionary timeline, the government said, it will effective February 2024 start the implementation of Electronic Gates at the Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu international airports to facilitate the entrance of Nigerians into the country without submitting themselves to clearance relying only on Advanced Passenger Information for their pre-profiling as it is practised in other countries.
Though the government put a caveat: “Only persons of interest” – will have to go through the route of bio-metric checking and counter processing.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo disclosed this during the handing over and grand opening of the Remodeled Clearance Area of the E- Arrival Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The Minister said working with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration, the government will spare no effort to scale up technology in assisting Nigerians get their travel documents with ease, saying the era of the backlog of passports at Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), offices is now a thing of the past.
While commending the efforts of partners that assisted in improving infrastructure at the Lagos Airport and Zone A Headquarters, newly confirmed Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI) of NIS, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju said the collaboration will improve efficiency in service delivery.
Coordinator of Zone A Headquarters, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACG), Wale Sadiq urged the CGI to provide operational facilities, including vehicles for the unit.
He enumerated the strides thus far achieved in the Zone A Headquarters, including regular human capacity development programmes.
On her part, the Comptroller of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Adeola Adesokan said the remodelled facility at the Lagos Airport will not only elevate the entire travel experience, by improving efficiency, bringing about faster processing time and seamless clearance, it will eliminate long queues for arriving passengers
She said: “We now have dedicated clearance counters for persons with reduced mobility, senior citizens, members of the diplomatic corp.
