Immigration Service Postpones New Passport Application By One Week

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service,
Muhammad Babandede, has announced the postponement of new passport
applications, which was earlier slated to commence on June 1 2020,
by one week.

The new date will now be June 8, 2021.

According to a statement on Tuesday by the Service’s Public
Relations Officer, Amos Okpu, titled ‘Clearance of backlog of
passport applications,’ Babandede was quoted as making the
announcement at the NIS headquarters in Abuja during a media
chat.

The statement read in part, “A huge number of applicants are
already turning up to collect their passports across issuing
centres and this is causing some forms of congestion.

“This situation will not allow the Service to accommodate new
applications especially considering our desire to ensure that
people who come to our offices comply with all the COVID-19
protocols.

“Consequent upon the above, the Minister of Interior, Rauf
Aregbesola, has extended the commencement of the new passport
regime earlier scheduled for June 1, 2021 by one week till June 8,
2021.

“The period shall be used to attend to applicants for
collection, clear all the remaining backlogs as well as improve
systems automation for the takeoff of the new passport regime
effective 8th June 2021.

“The Comptroller General of Immigration assures all of full
commitment to improved service delivery to all passport applicants
and others.”

Recall that the NIS announced on May 17, 2021, that it was
halting applications and processing of new passports until May 31,
2021.

The move was to allow for the clearance of backlog from all
local and foreign passport applications received before May 17,
2021.

Babandede also revealed that a total of 230,500 applications
have been cleared and the passports produced.

Out of this, a total number of 43,350 are yet to be
collected.

He said, “Passport Control Officers have been directed to
continue to send out short message notifications for collection to
all applicants who indicated functional contact details/numbers in
their applications while efforts have been intensified to clear up
the remaining applications in some Centres.”

He added that to ensure that applicants are duly notified and
encouraged to collect their Passports, the NIS will upload the
details of all Passports that are yet to be collected on its
website www.immigration.gov.ng for the attention of the public.

He, therefore, assured Nigerians that the Service is also
deploying other media means to notify the public about this
development.

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service,
Muhammad Babandede, has announced the postponement of new passport
applications, which was earlier slated to commence on June 1 2020,
by one week.

The new date will now be June 8, 2021.

According to a statement on Tuesday by the Service’s Public
Relations Officer, Amos Okpu, titled ‘Clearance of backlog of
passport applications,’ Babandede was quoted as making the
announcement at the NIS headquarters in Abuja during a media
chat.

The statement read in part, “A huge number of applicants are
already turning up to collect their passports across issuing
centres and this is causing some forms of congestion.

“This situation will not allow the Service to accommodate new
applications especially considering our desire to ensure that
people who come to our offices comply with all the COVID-19
protocols.

“Consequent upon the above, the Minister of Interior, Rauf
Aregbesola, has extended the commencement of the new passport
regime earlier scheduled for June 1, 2021 by one week till June 8,
2021.

“The period shall be used to attend to applicants for
collection, clear all the remaining backlogs as well as improve
systems automation for the takeoff of the new passport regime
effective 8th June 2021.

“The Comptroller General of Immigration assures all of full
commitment to improved service delivery to all passport applicants
and others.”

Recall that the NIS announced on May 17, 2021, that it was
halting applications and processing of new passports until May 31,
2021.

The move was to allow for the clearance of backlog from all
local and foreign passport applications received before May 17,
2021.

Babandede also revealed that a total of 230,500 applications
have been cleared and the passports produced.

Out of this, a total number of 43,350 are yet to be
collected.

He said, “Passport Control Officers have been directed to
continue to send out short message notifications for collection to
all applicants who indicated functional contact details/numbers in
their applications while efforts have been intensified to clear up
the remaining applications in some Centres.”

He added that to ensure that applicants are duly notified and
encouraged to collect their Passports, the NIS will upload the
details of all Passports that are yet to be collected on its
website www.immigration.gov.ng for the attention of the public.

He, therefore, assured Nigerians that the Service is also
deploying other media means to notify the public about this
development.