The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has assured Nigerians that passport services remain available at all passport offices despite the ongoing rollout of its passport centralisation reform.
In a statement on Wednesday, NIS spokesperson Akinsola Akinlabi said the clarification became necessary following public enquiries and misunderstandings over the phased transfer of passport production from offices across the six geopolitical zones to the Central Personalisation Centre at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
“The Service unequivocally state that the migration of production in passport offices to the Central Personalization Centre is purely operational and does not in anyway stop the processing and issuance of passport at any passport office within the country or at designated Nigeria’s Embassies and Consulates abroad,” the statement reads.
“It forms part of a broader modernization Programme aimed at strengthening the security, integrity, and efficiency of Nigeria’s passport issuance system.”
Akinlabi said the migration began in January and has so far covered 36 local and 40 international passport centres. Work is still ongoing in 15 local and five foreign centres.
“Under the new operational framework, all passport booklets printing and security personalization have been consolidated into a secure, centralized, and high-capacity production hub in the Service Headquarters Abuja, ensuring passports are produced and dispatched to passport offices across the country and diaspora within a two-week timeframe,” Akinlabi said.
He added that the reform will remove manual intervention in passport personalisation, end document arbitrage, improve accountability, and ensure every Nigerian passport meets the same quality and security standards.
Akinlabi also urged applicants to keep using their preferred passport offices in Nigeria and abroad, stressing that all centres remain operational.
