The Federal Government has announced that home delivery of passports will begin in June, eliminating the need for Nigerians to visit immigration offices to obtain their passports.
This development was revealed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during an inspection of the electronic gates at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport’s new terminal on Friday, May 24, 2024, in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo clarified that the home delivery service would not cover all locations initially to prevent system overload and potential damage.
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) will roll out the home delivery service in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Abuja. For Nigerians living abroad, the service will first be available in the United States and the United Kingdom, with preliminary testing to ensure its effectiveness.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the delay in implementing home delivery was due to the absence of a dedicated data centre. Previously, the NIS relied on a private company’s data centre, but the government recognized the need for a permanent solution.
He stated, “We have completed the whole solution but when we came on board, we realized that the data centre was not really there. We were leveraging on a private company data centre and we appreciate them for that assistance. We think that it is better to create a permanent solution to problems rather than quick fixes.”
The minister emphasized the importance of having a secure, in-house data centre to maintain data integrity and national security. “It is disgraceful that NIS is 61 years old and NIS is a custodian of biometric data of Nigeria and we believe that NIS should be in charge of the data of Nigeria. It is not acceptable that this data is domiciled in a third party and that is why we have been able to do this.”
He confirmed that the data centre has been constructed and the passport delivery issue resolved. “It is about national security and I can assure you that it is comparable with anyone you can find anywhere in the world.”
Tunji-Ojo also announced that the final presentation of the electronic visa system has been completed, reducing the visa processing time from 72 hours to 48 hours. “The passport automation process is almost complete,” he added.
In October 2023, Tunji-Ojo hinted that Nigerians would soon be able to have their passports delivered to their homes, offices, or any location of their choice starting from February 2024. Despite some delays, the government is now ready to launch this service, enhancing convenience and accessibility for all citizens.
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