The minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has asked the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to deliver new passport printers to two consulates in the United States.
Babatunde Alao, the minister’s special assistant on media and publicity, said in a statement on Thursday that the directive acknowledged prior pleas demanding passport printers at the Atlanta and New York consulates.
“This short-term solution aims to resolve the current challenge promptly,” the statement quoted the minister as saying.
Tunji-Ojo noted plans are in progress to implement a streamlined process that would enable Nigerians to apply for their passports with more ease.
“Part of this plan includes the activation of the Passport Personalisation Centre in Abuja, which is scheduled to start in the next few weeks,” the statement added.
“Also opening up more countries for the already-deployed contactless solution.”
The minister said there was already an end-to-end automation of the passport application process and the introduction of the contactless application process which was launched in Canada.
He reassured Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu’s government remained dedicated to providing citizens with newfound hope, laced with innovation and ease, while also improving national security.