Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to supply new passport printers to the country’s consulates in Atlanta and New York, United States.
The announcement was made on Thursday in a statement issued by Babatunde Alao, the minister’s special adviser on media and publicity.
“This short-term solution aims to resolve the current challenge promptly,” the minister said, acknowledging prior petitions requesting the equipment for the two US consulates.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed plans to simplify the passport application process further, revealing that the government is working on long-term strategies to improve service delivery.
“Part of this plan includes the activation of the Passport Personalisation Centre in Abuja, which is scheduled to start in the next few weeks. Also, we are opening up more countries for the already-deployed contactless solution,” the statement noted.
The minister highlighted that the NIS had already implemented an end-to-end automation of the passport application process, including the contactless application system, which was recently launched in Canada.
Tunji-Ojo assured Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu’s administration remains committed to ensuring that citizens experience renewed hope, laced with innovation and convenience, while still enhancing national security.