Nigerian citizens will soon be able to receive their passports delivered directly to their homes starting June 1, 2024, according to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Tunji-Ojo said the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) would start home delivery in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Abuja, News About Nigeria reports.
While inspecting the electronic gates at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport’s new terminal in Abuja, the minister said that the courier delivery would not be free as people would have to pay for the service.
He further explained that while new applicants will still need to visit passport offices for biometric capture and registration, the renewal process will become largely contactless, following models from other countries where biometric data is used to verify identities remotely.
Tunji-Ojo stated that there has been improvement in the passport issuance process for Nigerians living abroad, noting that in London, people can now receive their passports within two to three days.
Additionally, he stated that home delivery services have already started in the UK, and a self-address system is in place in the US.
Under the new system, the time required to renew a passport in Nigeria has already decreased from several months to a few weeks.
According to the minister, the lack of data centres delayed the home delivery of passports.
He said NIS had been using a private company’s data centre but needed to establish a permanent solution to address the issue.
Tunji-Ojo also confirmed that changing names on passports can now be done from any location within Nigeria, not just in Abuja.
This change is particularly beneficial for married women who need to update their surnames after marriage.
