*Unveils Centralised Personalisation Centre
THE Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, with its unveiling of a single, centralised system after 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, speaking while inspecting the new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, said since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre until now.
The minister stated that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but that the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day, adding: “The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation. We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians.”
Describing enthused that the development was in line with global standards, aimed at improving uniformity and enhancing the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
In addition, Tunji-Ojo said it was a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians and driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform, thereby aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
Tunji-Oji said unlike in the past when passports were personalised across 96 locations in Nigeria and the Diaspora, the new centralised model consolidates production into a single hub for efficiency, quality assurance and uniformity.
“Nigeria is now in the league of countries, such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, India and Bangladesh, that run centralised passport personalisation centres.
“This is a big win for the government and a major shift towards efficiency and reliability. This centre puts an end to the era of backlogs and delays.
“When this administration came on board, we inherited over 204,000 pending applications. That chapter is now closed. Everything is automated and efficient, ensuring Nigerians get value for their money.”
He listed other key reforms so far achieved to include migration to a single passport series, therby eliminating the old dual “A and B” series system to strengthen document integrity; Diaspora coverage, by ensuring all missions abroad now issue the enhanced B-series passport; global authentication compliance, meaning Nigeria has been fully integrated into the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Public Key Directory (PKD), boosting international acceptance of its travel documents.
He explained: “These reforms ensure that no two Nigerians carry different passport types, enhance global trust in our documents, and position Nigeria as a serious player in global travel systems.”
The minister stressed that the facility was not funded directly from government coffers, but through a strategic partnership designed to deliver value.
He assured that the centralisation would drastically reduce waiting time for new passports and changes of data, noting: “We promised two weeks, but we are working towards one week.
“With this centre, Nigerians no longer have to wait endlessly. What matters most is service efficiency and this project guarantees that. Nigeria now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with advanced nations in the management of travel documents.
“It is a legacy project that will define the future of our passport system.”
The new facility, built in partnership with IRISMAT Technologies Limited, deploys advanced machines capable of producing up to 1,000 passports per hour, compared to the previous Iskra machines that only produced 250 to 300 passports per day.
With this, the NIS can now produce between 4,500 and 5,000 passports daily to meet the delivery time promised by the minister.
