NIS to introduce emergency passport for Nigerians abroad

The Nigeria Immigration Service has announced plans to introduce a Single Travel Emergency Passport, a new biometric travel document designed to help Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen return home securely and verifiably.

The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, disclosed this during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes held in Abuja, which Nigeria co-hosted with the Government of France.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, on Wednesday.

According to Nandap, the STEP will replace the current Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) as part of NIS’s ongoing reforms “aimed at strengthening Identity Management and Border Governance frameworks in line with global best practices.”

The CGI explained that “the STEP will serve as a temporary travel document for Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen, enabling them to return home in a secure and verifiable manner.”

She noted that “the travel document will be issued at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad and valid only for single entry, reinforcing the Service’s commitment to efficient service delivery and robust identity protection.”

The meeting brought together key stakeholders in migration management, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NAPTIP, ECOWAS, AU, EU, and representatives of African and European countries.

The high-level forum focused on strengthening collaboration to combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking, emphasising prevention, protection, and prosecution across regional migration routes.

In her keynote address, titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses,” Nandap outlined the Service’s broader reform agenda aimed at enhancing migration management systems, international cooperation, and capacity building.

“The Comptroller-General reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional and global migration dialogues, emphasising that the Nigeria Immigration Service will continue to align its policies and operations with international standards to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration across borders,” the statement added.