The Nigerian immigration Services has announced that they will not issue any new passports to Nigerian citizens starting from May 18th until 31st May 2021, after which they will know when to resume passport issuance.
According to the public notice made available to 9News Nigeria, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has ordered the suspension of receiving and processing of new passport applications throughout the country until June 1st 2021.
The Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede made the announcement at the decoration ceremony of promoted senior officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
The Immigration Boss said that the instruction was given by the Minister of Interiors, Ogbeni Rauf Arigbesola who said that the suspension is necessary in order to allow the passport processing offices to clear the backlog and overload applications that have been delayed since months ago.
9News Nigeria reports that the Minister of Interiors, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola had in April announced that he held a meeting with the Leadership of the Nigeria Immigration Service (@nigimmigration) and all Passport Control Officers in Nigeria and Immigration Attachés around the world in order to permanently curb the complaints of difficulty in obtaining Passports from the NIS.
The public Notice that was issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service:
NIGERIA IMMIGRATION SERVICE
IMPORTANT PUBLIC NOTICE
All Passport Issuing Centres have been directed to clear existing backlog of applications on or before 31st May, 2021.
To this effect requests for Fresh and/or Reissue shall not be entertained with effect from 18th May 2021-31st May 2021 in all Centres except for locations in the Missions abroad.
Notifications for collection of produced Passports are already going out to applicants who indicated functional phone numbers in their applications.
Meanwhile, a new Passport application and processing regime shall commence by 1st June 2021.
Critical features of the reform shall include the following:
*Applicants shall visit http://immigration.gov.ng to apply, pay&upload all the required documents for Passports;
*Book interview/appointment after a successful online application;
*That no applicant who have not booked online appointment shall be attended to;
*That no cash payment to anyone shall be entertained in any Issuing Centre;
*That Passport application processing and issuance shall take a period of Six weeks after a successful enrollment;
*That requests for reissue can be submitted Six Months before expiration.
Our Centres are working hard to resolve all backlog applications.
We therefore appeal to applicants who have been waiting for more understanding and assure that they’ll get their Passports soon.
Signed
Nigeria Immigration Service
May 18, 2021
