Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, has said that Nigerians would be able to have their passports delivered to their homes, businesses, and other preferred locations beginning in February 2024.
According to Tunji-Ojo, who was speaking during the opening ceremony of the University of Lagos’ International Week, headlined ‘Breaking the Borders of Partnership,’ on Monday, the minister stated that Nigerians would be able to finish the application procedure online by January of next year.
In his words:
“We have commenced the automation of our end-to-end passport application process, and we have given a timeline from which Nigerians will begin to experience the ‘sweet experience’.
“By implication, Nigerians will not need to wait longer than two weeks before they get their passport. By January next year, Nigerians will be able to complete this application process online, and by February next year, with collaboration and partnership with other relevant stakeholders, Nigerians will have their passports delivered to their homes, offices, and other locations of their choice.
“This, of course, would be extended to our visa application process. We are deploying technology throughout the entire process to make it as seamless as possible. To achieve this, we have set everything in motion to open 12 more visa application centres across the world. In this regard, we are also working on strengthening our visa-on-arrival policy. We are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enforce the principle of reciprocity, and a committee has been set up in the ministry to achieve this.”
He bemoaned the duplication of registration of identity numbers in the nation, such as the BVN in the bank, passport, NIN, and SIM card registration by telecommunication providers.
Tunji-Ojo said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a decree for the standardisation of the country’s multiple identifying numbers.
He stated that data harmonisation will restore the integrity of travel papers.
According to the minister:
“Identity is who we are, what we are, and what we live for. But today, what we have is a duplication of our registration. We have the BVN in the bank, the passport, the NIN, SIM card registration by telcos, and so on, all of which request your data. The integrity of our travel documents must be restored through the harmonisation of our data.
“We have the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, to harmonise the country’s database. When we harmonise our data, there will be an exchange amongst agencies such that when our people need data for passport and visa applications, or BVN, with their NIN, their data can be pulled out. This will not only save us stress, cost, and energy but also help us optimise our processes and the country’s security architecture.”
cc: Punch Ng
