By Ademuyiwa Balikis
The Federal Government has officially ended passport production at multiple centres across the country, transitioning to a single, centralised passport personalisation system for the first time in 62 years.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced this on Thursday during an inspection of the newly built Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the Minister described the facility as a long-awaited milestone for the NIS since its establishment in 1963. He explained that the centre will put an end to decentralised production and ensure efficiency, speed, and quality in the issuance of passports.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services. We promised two week delivery, but we are already working towards achieving one week or less,” Tunji-Ojo said.
According to the Interior Minister, the reform will significantly increase capacity. While older machines could only process about 250 to 300 passports daily, the new centralised system can now produce between 4,500 and 5,000 passports in a single workday, with the ability to print as many as 1,000 passports per hour.
He also disclosed that once a passport application is approved, printing can now be completed within 24 hours, with delivery to applicants expected within a week.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, who received the Minister and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior during the inspection, stated that the new facility was designed to meet international standards and drastically cut down on waiting times for Nigerians seeking passports.
She explained that the centre will help the Service clear backlogs, enhance uniformity in production, and strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s travel documents.
“This world-class facility is designed to put an end to production of passports across multiple centres and centralisation in one location. This will significantly boost passport production capacity and streamline the process for Nigerians seeking passports by reducing their waiting time,” the NIS said in an official statement.
The government said the centralisation project, built in partnership with technology providers, was completed without additional cost to the federal purse.
Until now, Nigeria operated about 96 passport personalisation centres within and outside the country, a system that often led to delays and inconsistencies. The new Abuja based centre consolidates production for the first time since 1963, aligning with global best practices.
Officials expressed optimism that the reform will resolve long-standing challenges in passport issuance and restore public confidence in the process.
