In a promising development, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) announced on Friday that, barring unforeseen technical issues, Nigerians can expect to receive their passports within three weeks of submitting their applications. Mrs. Caroline Adepoju, the newly confirmed Comptroller General of the NIS, made this announcement during the unveiling of the Igbogbo Passport Front Office in the Igbogbo-Baiyeku Local Council Development Area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
Adepoju emphasized the importance of applicants registering with the same details they provided to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). She explained that the national identity numbers would be linked to the passports, streamlining the application process.
“People who are applying for our passport must have similar details with which they are applying for the passport on their national identity numbers because the Nigerian passport has the national identity number on it,” Adepoju stated. “So, if there are no issues, within three weeks, you must get your passport, from application to the production of the passport.”
She also advised Nigerians whose passports were nearing expiration to apply for renewal six months before the expiration, highlighting that some countries might deny visas to applicants with passports having less than six months to expire.
The Igbogbo Passport Front Office, Adepoju’s first assignment as Comptroller General, received commendation from Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Represented by the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ibrahim Layode, the governor lauded the Federal Government’s commitment to providing world-class services aligned with global standards. The newly inaugurated office has the capacity to accommodate 200 applicants.
Chairman of the Igbogbo-Baiyeku Local Council Development Area, Olusesan Daini, expressed the community’s hope for the facility’s inclusion in future upgrading processes to a full passport office capable of producing passports. He assured maximum security for the facility, emphasizing that the presence of the passport office made the security of Igbogbo a federal concern.
Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom, Oba Semiudeen Kasali, pledged community ownership of the facility and support for the Immigration Service to ensure smooth operations. With the unveiling of the Igbogbo Passport Front Office, Nigerians anticipate a more efficient and expedited passport application process.