By Palma Ileye
The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has clarified that its ongoing passport centralisation reform does not stop the processing and issuance of passports at passport offices across the country or at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad.
In a statement on Wednesday by the Service Spokesperson, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi, he said that the migration of passport production to the Central Personalization Centre at its Headquarters in Abuja is an operational reform aimed at strengthening the security, integrity and efficiency of Nigeria’s passport issuance system.
The NIS explained that the reform is part of a broader modernisation programme and stressed that passport offices nationwide will continue to receive applications, process requests and issue passports to applicants.
According to the Service, the migration was being implemented in five phases to minimise operational risks, avoid service disruptions and ensure a smooth transition.
It said the first phase, completed in January 2025, covered passport offices in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Borno and Yobe states, as well as 30 Nigerian missions across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Oceania.
The second phase, completed in March 2026, included passport offices in Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Gwagwalada in the FCT, as well as selected offices in Oyo, Ogun and Kwara States, alongside five European missions.
The third phase, concluded in June 2026, covered offices in Edo, Delta, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Kaduna, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti States, in addition to five missions in Europe.
The fourth phase, scheduled for August 2026, will onboard passport offices in Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Kano, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states, while the final phase, expected to be completed before the end of the year, will include major passport offices in Lagos and selected foreign missions in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
The Service said that all passport booklets would now be printed and personalised at the secure, high-capacity production centre in Abuja before being dispatched to passport offices and designated foreign missions within two weeks.
It noted that the centralised system eliminates manual intervention in the personalisation process, curbs document fraud, strengthens accountability and ensures uniform quality and advanced security features in every Nigerian passport.
The NIS urged applicants to continue accessing passport services at their preferred passport offices, assuring that service delivery remains uninterrupted.
The Service reaffirmed its commitment to deploying technology-driven solutions that improve service delivery while safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s passport system in line with international best practices.
