The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed the immediate reactivation of non-functional passport equipment at the Nigerian consulates in Atlanta and New York.
The move comes in response to repeated complaints from Nigerians in the diaspora over delays in passport issuance caused by broken-down equipment.
In a statement issued by the minister’s media aide, Alao Babatunde, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has been instructed to urgently deploy new passport printers to both consulates as a temporary measure to ease the crisis.
“The printers are ready for installation, and this short-term intervention will help resolve the current challenges quickly,” Babatunde explained.
Additionally, the minister revealed plans for a long-term overhaul of the passport issuance process, including the activation of a Passport Personalisation Centre in Abuja, scheduled to begin operations in the coming weeks.
The ongoing deployment of a contactless application system, already launched in Canada, will also be expanded to other countries.
“The Ministry of Interior, under the minister’s leadership, is fully committed to improving services. The Nigeria Immigration Service, for instance, has introduced end-to-end automation and a contactless application system to simplify the passport process for Nigerians,” the statement noted.
Tunji-Ojo assured Nigerians that the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains dedicated to enhancing convenience and innovation for citizens while prioritizing national security.
