In a major overhaul of Nigeria’s passport processing system, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially stopped producing passports at multiple centres across the country.
For the first time since the NIS was founded in 1963, the country has now adopted a centralised passport production system.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the development on Thursday during an inspection of the new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja.
“This marks a historic milestone. For the first time in 62 years, passport production in Nigeria is now fully centralised,” the Minister said.
According to him, the transition is a part of broader reforms aimed at boosting efficiency and cutting down on delays in passport issuance.
While older machines were limited to producing around 250 to 300 passports daily, the new system is capable of handling 4,500 to 5,000 passports per day.
“With this technology, we can now meet daily demand in just four to five hours of operation,” Tunji-Ojo added.
The minister emphasized that the goal is to deliver passports within two weeks, and eventually reduce it to one week, citing automation and system optimization as key to achieving that promise.
He also explained that the centralised system aligns with global best practices, improves document security, and ensures consistent quality across all passports issued.
“This reform is not just about centralisation; it’s about setting a new standard for productivity and integrity in passport services,” he said.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo stated that the move fits into President Bola Tinubu’s broader agenda for reforming public services and restoring trust in government institutions.
He added that the new system will bring services closer to Nigerians through improved delivery, not just in terms of speed but also reliability.
“This is a total reform of the passport system in Nigeria, and a bold step toward a culture of service excellence,” the minister concluded.
