The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) will now deliver passports to applicants within one week, following the centralisation of passport production for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the development on Thursday during an inspection of the new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS headquarters in Abuja.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that while old machines produced only 250 to 300 passports daily, the new system has the capacity to process between 4,500 and 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” the minister said, describing the reform as a game-changer.
Tunji-Ojo added that although the government had earlier promised a two-week delivery window, automation and optimisation would now make one-week delivery possible.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would enhance the uniformity and integrity of Nigerian travel documents, while aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda for improved service delivery.
