The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has begun the issuance of the new 10-year passport booklet which can counter damage, counterfeit and forgery
This was revealed at the agency’s headquarters, Abuja.
While taking newsmen round the passport office in Abuja on Monday, the NIS Public Relations Officer, DCI Sunday James, said the new booklet was part of a comprehensive passport reform approved by the Federal Government to “improve the quality and security of the travel document meant to counter incidence of damage, counterfeit, and forgery.
“Passport applicant will have a NIN number, and NIS management had set up a desk where individuals can register for the NIN which is mandatory.
“The National Identity Number is compulsory for all applicant of the new document. To make it easy for applicants, the Nigeria Immigration Service has provided space for National Identity Management Commission at the Service Headquarters, Abuja to register applicants and issue to them the NIN.
“The public is advised not to rush for the new booklet as the new enhanced passport will run concurrently with the old one.”
The NIS spokesman further said that applicants holding a passport with more than six months validity are not eligible for the new booklet except in the case of damage, change of data and those whose booklets were exhausted.
James advised applicants to pay online or directly to the banks situated within the passport offices, advising that they should not patronize touts “as all the service windows are equipped to meet their needs.”
He added that the Comptroller-General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, had directed passport offices at the state commands to continue to issue the old booklet while the service headquarters Abuja would only issue the new passport booklet.
However, the passport office Gwagwalada would also continue to issue the old passport pending the roll out in Ikoyi on June 3; Alausa, Lagos on July 8; and London on July 29, 2019.
