In a bid to fortify the security and authenticity of Nigerian passports, the administration led by Bola Tinubu has introduced new features and templates for passport acquisition.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo disclosed that these measures aim to prevent non-citizens from falsifying or obtaining Nigerian passports.
Highlighting the significance of passports as national identity and vital documents, Tunji-Ojo emphasised the need to protect their sanctity.
The minister acknowledged that the previous system had vulnerabilities, allowing foreigners to exploit inefficiencies for passport acquisition.
Tunji-Ojo assured the public of an improved process in the coming weeks, acknowledging challenges faced by applicants under the new passport system.
The reforms are designed to streamline the acquisition process, enabling swift online application, production, and passport collection.
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Addressing concerns, the minister clarified, “We have to introduce this new system in order to stop those non-Nigerians carrying Nigerian passports. Contrary to reports, the new process is working very effectively and hiccups recorded is only 4 per cent, which is significant improvement for a system that is newly introduced and I assure you that in the next one or two weeks we will have near perfect system.
“We have to improve our process of obtaining passports because passport is a security document. This new system has improved accessibility, transparency and efficiency.
“We are building a future for Nigerians where things should be done in a better way. We changed the price of five-year passport because the 10-year passport is N70, 000; so, the one for five years should be half of that amount, which is N35. 000. We are committed to making things better in our country,” the Minister stressed.