In the first few weeks of 2024, 32,462 Nigerians applied for international passports and uploaded their documents on the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) website between January 8 and 21, 2024.
News About Nigeria gathered that this is connected to the growing ‘japa’ trend of Nigerians aspiring to leave the country for greener pastures.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration Service, Caroline Adepoju, shared this update during a visit to the Ikoyi and Alausa passport offices.
Out of the total applications, 15,113 have reportedly been approved for biometric capture and production. This represents fifty percent of the applications processed so far.
Adepoju disclosed that 11,505 applications are awaiting approval, while 3,406 people who made payments are yet to book appointments.
Additionally, 1,438 applications have been queried for various reasons.
Speaking to reporters following the assessment, Adepoju stated that while the automation of passport applications is not something new, it does draw attention to an important difference in the existing system: the ability to upload supporting papers online.
She made it clear that the automation was intended to increase efficiency, minimise human interaction, and respond to concerns raised by candidates who had been coerced into applying through touts during the conventional application procedure.
Adepoju assured the public that the Nigeria Immigration Service, along with its technical partners, service providers, and other stakeholders, worked together to automate the passport application.
Adepoju acknowledged a four percent rejection rate for uploaded documents, urging Nigerians to be patient and allow the NIS to perfect the automated process.
She stated that the primary goal was to ensure a seamless application experience and reduce the challenges associated with the traditional manual application system.
