The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production across multiple centres, moving to a single, centralised system for the first time since its establishment in 1963.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Thursday during an inspection of the new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja. He described the development as a historic reform milestone in Nigeria’s passport processing system.
“For the first time in 62 years, Nigeria now has a centralised passport production facility. The project is 100 per cent ready, and this will make passport delivery more productive, efficient, and reliable,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The minister explained that the old machines previously produced only 250 to 300 passports daily, a figure that fell short of demand. With the new centralised system, however, NIS now has the capacity to process between 4,500 and 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demand within four to five hours of operation. It is a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria,” he noted.
Tunji-Ojo added that the reforms would significantly reduce processing times, with the government now working to cut delivery timelines from two weeks to just one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” he said.
According to him, the centralisation aligns with global standards, ensuring uniformity in production and enhancing the integrity of Nigerian travel documents internationally.
The minister also stressed that the project reflects President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, aimed at strengthening the capacity of NIS and improving overall service delivery.
“This is about bringing services closer to Nigerians, driving a culture of efficiency, and transforming the passport system for the better,” Tunji-Ojo added.
