The Federal Government unveiled the launch of an enhanced e-passport, which they say will improve the passport application process for Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora.
The rollout of the e-passport was conducted at the Nigerian High Commission in London, United Kingdom.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Minister of Interior Affairs, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, assured of the FG’s commitment with the enhanced e-passport, stating that the FG is committed to providing passports to all its citizens.
What we have come to do here is symbolic of the core mandate of the Ministry of Interior Affairs and indeed, the Federal Government’s affirmation of citizenship integrity.
“The Nigerian passport is the highest affirmation of Nigerian citizenship. It is, therefore, our responsibility to provide the passport without any stress, within a reasonable period,” Aregbesola said.
He disclosed that the process of securing a passport had been riddled with challenges from the shortage of booklets to louting, with an economy of corruption built around it. He assured Nigerians that he comes from a tradition of problem-solving in public administration and does not believe that any problem is insurmountable.
“So we are going to solve all the problems associated with passport administration and we are already succeeding,” he said.
The Minister said that the enhanced e-Passport was a great improvement on the Biometric Passport technology which Nigeria adopted in 2007 stating that the FG is aware that technology rules the world and is keeping abreast with the latest development in the field.
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