The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, moving to a single, centralised system for the first time in its 62-year history.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the development on Thursday during an inspection of the newly inaugurated Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS headquarters in Abuja.
He said since the establishment of the NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a centralised passport production system until now—describing the milestone as a major reform in the nation’s travel document management.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The minister explained that the old machines could only produce between 250 and 300 passports daily, while the new system has the capacity to process 4,500 to 5,000 passports per day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation. It is a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo further disclosed that the government’s target was to shorten passport delivery timelines.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week. Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” he noted.
According to him, the centralisation aligns with international best practices, improves uniformity, and enhances the global integrity of Nigerian passports.
He added that the reform is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of modernising public service delivery and boosting institutional efficiency.
“This development is not just about centralisation; it is about changing the narrative, strengthening capacity, and ensuring Nigerians enjoy a seamless passport application and collection process,” the minister said.
