Nigerians will soon no longer need to visit immigration offices to obtain their passports, as a new home delivery service is set to launch in June. This was revealed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during an inspection of the electronic gates at the new terminal of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Friday.
Minister Tunji-Ojo clarified that the home delivery service would initially be available in select locations to prevent system overload and potential damage. The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) will start the service in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Abuja.
For Nigerians living abroad, the home delivery service will first be introduced in the United States and the United Kingdom. This will begin with preliminary testing to ensure the system’s effectiveness.
The minister explained that delays in implementing the home delivery service were due to the absence of dedicated data centers. The NIS had been using a private company’s data center, but the government recognized the need for a more secure, permanent solution.
“We have completed the entire solution, but upon taking office, we discovered the lack of a proper data center. We were dependent on a private company’s data center, and while we appreciate their support, a permanent solution is essential for maintaining data integrity and national security. We could have started in February, but building our data center from scratch was necessary to safeguard our data,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
He emphasized the importance of NIS controlling its data, especially given its role as the custodian of Nigeria’s biometric information. “It is unacceptable for such data to reside with a third party. We have now constructed our data center, which meets global standards, and resolved the passport delivery issues. This center ensures our national security and data integrity,” he added.
The minister also mentioned the completion of the electronic visa’s final presentation, which is expected to reduce visa processing time from 72 hours to 48 hours. He assured that the passport automation process is nearing completion as well.
This announcement follows a previous statement by the minister in October, where he declared that by February 2024, Nigerians would be able to have their passports delivered to their homes, offices, or any other location of their choice.
