By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has clarified that the centralisation of passport production does not affect passport processing and issuance nationwide or at foreign missions.

The Service said the reform followed public enquiries and misconceptions arising from the phased migration of passport production to its headquarters in Abuja.

The Service Public Relations Officer and Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Mr Akinsola Akinlabi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

Akinlabi explained that the initiative was an operational reform under a broader modernisation programme to strengthen passport security, integrity and efficiency.

He said passport offices nationwide and designated Nigerian embassies and consulates would continue receiving applications, processing requests and issuing passports without interruption.

According to him, only passport booklet printing and security personalisation have been consolidated at the Central Personalisation Centre in Abuja.

He said the measure was designed to improve efficiency and strengthen the security of the passport production process.

Akinlabi stated that the Service adopted a five-phase migration plan to minimise operational risks and ensure seamless implementation.

He said the first phase, completed in January 2025, covered seven passport offices in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Borno and Yobe states.

“The phase also included 30 foreign missions across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania,” he said.

Akinlabi said the first phase brought the total number of migrated centres to 37.

He said the second phase, completed in March 2026, covered 12 passport offices in the South-East, parts of the South-West and FCT.

According to him, the phase also included five Nigerian missions in Europe, bringing the total number of centres involved to 17.

The spokesperson said the third phase, completed in June 2026, involved 17 passport offices across the South-South, North-West and South-West zones.

He added that five European missions were included in the third phase, making a total of 22 centres.

He said the fourth phase, scheduled for August 2026, would onboard 10 additional passport offices across several states.

He listed the states as Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Kano, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa.

Akinlabi said the fifth and final phase would be completed in the last quarter of 2026.

He said the final phase would cover five passport offices in Lagos State and designated missions in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.

According to him, all passport booklet printing and security personalisation are now consolidated within a secure production hub at headquarters.

He said the centralised arrangement would ensure passports were produced and dispatched within two weeks to offices and designated foreign missions.

“The reform eliminates manual intervention in the personalisation process and removes opportunities for document arbitrage,” he said.

Akinlabi added that the reform would strengthen accountability and guarantee uniform quality standards with advanced security features in every passport.

He advised applicants to continue accessing services through their preferred passport offices, assuring that operations remained fully functional.

Akinlabi reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to technology-driven solutions that enhance service delivery and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s passport system.

He said the reforms aligned with international best practices and reflected the Service’s determination to improve efficiency and public confidence. (NAN)

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