Nigeria Immigration Service Centralizes Passport Production After 62 Years, Promises Faster Delivery

Historic Shift to Centralized Passport Production

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended its decentralized passport production system, transitioning to a single, centralized process for the first time in 62 years. This significant reform was announced by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Thursday, September 18, 2025, during an inspection of the newly established Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja. The move is expected to revolutionize passport issuance in Nigeria, aligning it with global best practices.

Since its establishment in 1963, the NIS had never operated a central passport production facility. The previous system relied on multiple centers, with some reports indicating around 96 personalization locations across Nigeria and abroad, which Dr. Tunji-Ojo described as 'vulnerable and inefficient'.

Dramatic Increase in Production Capacity and Efficiency

The new centralized system dramatically increases the production capacity of Nigerian passports. Previously, the decentralized system, utilizing outdated machines, could only produce between 250 and 300 passports daily. With the new facility, the NIS can now produce between 4,500 and 5,000 passports daily, with the capability to personalize up to 1,000 passports per hour. This enhanced capacity allows the NIS to meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation.

Minister Tunji-Ojo emphasized that this development is a 'game-changer' for passport processing in Nigeria. The government had initially promised a two-week delivery time for passports, but with the new system, efforts are underway to achieve a one-week turnaround, and approved passports can potentially be printed within 24 hours.

Key Benefits and Alignment with Global Standards

The centralization initiative is a core component of President Bola Tinubu's reform agenda, aimed at strengthening service delivery and restoring public confidence in government institutions.

• Elimination of Backlogs: The Minister noted that the era of backlogs is over, stating that an inherited backlog of over 204,000 pending passport applications had been cleared.
• Enhanced Integrity and Uniformity: The centralized system is expected to improve uniformity, efficiency, and the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
• Reduced Corruption: By centralizing approval and reducing human contact, the reform aims to curb corruption and protect applicants from exploitation.
• International Alignment: Nigeria now joins countries like the United States, United Kingdom, France, India, and Bangladesh in adopting a centralized passport personalization system, which is considered a global best practice.
• Unification of Passport Series: The reform also includes the unification of Nigeria's two passport series into a single regime and full migration to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Public Key Directory, further boosting the global credibility of Nigerian passports.

Future Outlook

The new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre, which was reportedly built without direct cost to the government through strategic infrastructural investments, represents a significant step towards modernizing Nigeria's identity management system. While recent passport fee hikes have drawn public attention, officials maintain that the focus remains on delivering faster, more secure, and efficient services to Nigerians.