The Federal Government has scrapped passport production at multiple centres across the country, consolidating the process into a single centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Thursday unveiled its new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at its headquarters in Abuja, in a move designed to boost efficiency and service delivery.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who inspected the facility, described the development as a major milestone in Nigeria’s immigration reforms. “Since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre until now,” he said. “The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now deliver passports with greater speed and efficiency.”
Under the old system, production machines could only handle 250–300 passports daily, slowing down the process. The new centralised model, however, can produce between 4,500 and 5,000 passports each day—enough to meet national demand within just four to five hours of operation.
“We promised a two-week delivery timeline, and we’re now targeting one week,” the minister said, stressing that automation and optimisation are key to achieving this goal.
According to Dr. Tunji-Ojo, centralisation will improve uniformity, safeguard the integrity of Nigerian travel documents, and bring operations in line with global best practices. He added that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s broader reform agenda to modernise the NIS and enhance service to Nigerians.
“This marks a turning point in the nation’s passport system—bringing services closer to the people, strengthening efficiency, and driving a complete overhaul of the process,” he said.
The Abuja facility is now expected to serve as the sole hub for passport production nationwide, transforming how Nigeria manages its travel documents.
