Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
Nigeria will on Monday, 8th January 2024, launch the automated passport application system for her citizens.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced during an inspection tour of facilities at the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Abuja, in the company of the Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Mrs Wura-Ola Adepoju.
The minister said Nigerians will be able to apply and complete their passport application process online without human contact.
Tunji-Ojo declared that the usual encumbrances to the process had been eliminated and by “8th January 2024, the solution will be live and direct for Nigerians to have a good feel, a sweet experience based on the Renewed Hope of Mr President”.
He enthused on what the electronic process of procuring and renewing passports will achieve thus; “We have been able to reduce human contact in passport acquisition to the minimum.”
The minister in his comment reiterated the plausible outcome of the digital approach thus; “The automation of the passport application process, which will begin on 8th January 2024, when Nigerians will be able to apply and complete their passport application process online without human contact.”
Tunji-Ojo added that when the project is fully automated, Nigerians would only go to immigration centers for fingerprint or biometric purposes and collection of their passports.
He said that the project will strengthen the nation’s security framework, enable early identification of fraudulent passport applications, and eliminate time-wasting bottlenecks.
STOP INVITING WOMEN TO ABUJA FOR NAME CHANGE
Speaking at a recent dinner with members of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ABAT Media Centre, and some social media influencers in Abuja, Tunji-Ojo described the act as “inhuman.”
He said women should not be subjected to such inhuman practices on account of marriage.
He enthused, “There is one stupid thing I have seen and it is that a woman gets married, changes her name, and then she has to come to Abuja all the way from say Kaura Namoda or Enugu just to come and effect a change of name in her passport. It is absurd.
“I can’t just figure it that you want to change just your name and you have to be in Abuja. I have asked the immigration people, is it that immigration people in Abuja have more than one head than those in the states?” he asked.
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This is an enabler development that will allow inteding passport applicatioats to procure their national passports without stressing themselves. However, the minister of Interior ought to have outlined the requirements for passport accusations. He should have gone further to highlight the cost of procurement of new passport and renewal.
Good effort by the Minister. To make the passport more secured, more accessible, and probably more affordable.