FG moves to deliver Passports in 1 week, completes Centralized Personalization Centre

By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA – Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has described the recently completed Data Personalization Centre astatine the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS Headquarters, Abuja, arsenic a “game-changer” successful the nation’s passport accumulation system.

Speaking aft the inspection, the Minister said the centre volition trim effect clip arsenic passports could beryllium printed wrong 24 hours and delivered wrong a week.

He said the centre marks the archetypal clip since the constitution of the NIS successful 1963 that Nigeria volition run a world-class centralized passport personalization facility, comparable to those successful the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, India, and Bangladesh.

According to him, the caller strategy puts an extremity to the erstwhile statement wherever passports were personalized successful astir 96 centres crossed Nigeria and overseas — a exemplary helium described arsenic “vulnerable and inefficient.”

“Centralization is planetary champion signifier due to the fact that it ensures higher quality, amended control, and greater efficiency. We promised Nigerians that we would centralize passport personalization and production, and I americium pleased to denote that this task is present 100 percent ready.”

The Minister revealed that portion the aged machines could lone process 250–300 passports per instrumentality daily, the caller installation present produces astir 1,000 passports per hour, giving the NIS the capableness to present betwixt 4,500 and 5,000 passports wrong a mean workday.

“This means applicants whose requests are approved tin present expect their passports to beryllium printed wrong 24 hours,” helium added.

Highlighting different reforms, Tunji-Ojo announced the unification of Nigeria’s 2 passport bid into a azygous authorities with the enactment of method spouse Iris Smart Technologies.

The curate besides recalled that Nigeria has afloat migrated to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s ICAO Public Key Directory, which authenticates question documents globally.

“With this, the integrity and planetary credibility of our passport person been importantly strengthened,” helium said.

The Minister further recalled that the authorities inherited a backlog of 204,000 passport applications but stressed that the caller strategy eliminates specified challenges by automating personalization and reducing quality intervention.

“This task ensures that the epoch of backlogs is over. Officers nary longer person to enactment round-the-clock to wide piles of applications. The strategy is present seamless, fast, and accountable,” helium assured.

Tunji-Ojo thanked President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, the Comptroller-General of Immigration, NIS officers, and method partners for their relation successful bringing the task to life.

He noted that reforms successful the Service straight interaction citizens by reducing waiting clip from weeks to hours. “We promised 2 weeks’ delivery; we are already moving towards achieving 1 week oregon less,” helium said.

The centralized personalization centre, according to the Minister, stands arsenic a large milestone successful the government’s ongoing reforms successful work delivery, ratio and nationalist individuality management.

The station FG moves to present Passports successful 1 week, completes Centralized Personalization Centre appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.