The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has shut down passport production at multiple centres nationwide, shifted to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, disclosed this on Thursday during an inspection of the newly-established Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja.
He described the development as a historic milestone and a turning point for Passport Administration in Nigeria.
“Since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria has never operated a central passport production centre until now.
“This project is 100% ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
According to him, the reform addresses years of inefficiency and backlog in the system.
“While the old machines could only produce between 250 and 300 passports daily, the new centralised facility has the capacity to produce 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation. It is a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria”, he added.
The minister explained that the Government had already promised to reduce passport processing time to two weeks. Still, with the new system, efforts are underway to achieve a one-week turnaround.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” he stressed.
Tunji-Ojo further noted that the centralisation aligns with international best practices, guaranteeing uniformity, enhancing security features, and strengthening the global integrity of Nigerian travel documents.
“This is about bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving efficiency and total passport system reform,” he said.
The minister emphasized that the innovation reflects President Bola Tinubu’s Renew Hope Agenda, aimed at transforming public service delivery and restoring confidence in critical national institutions.
