The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, will today (Monday) launch the first online portal for passport application in Abuja. Tunji-Ojo disclosed this during a demonstration session of the online portal on Friday in company of the Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Caroline Adepoju. According to the Minister, an online passport application platform has been set-up for both international and Nigerian applicants, which means Nigerians can apply online for their passport henceforth.
He broke the news during December last year that the Federal Government was working to ensure a full automation system of passport application in the country and which has come to pass.
According to him, the automated application system was “99 per cent done,” as at the time he was test-running it last week adding that the process would include uploading passport photos and supporting documents.
Meanwhile, he explained Nigerian applicants who want 32-page passports with five-year validity would pay N25,000, while those who want 64-page passports with a 10-year validity would pay N70,000.
However, foreign applicants, who wish to apply same with a five-year validity period and 32 pages, will part with $130, while those who opt for a 10-year validity period and 64 pages will pay $230. Candidates must submit their applications at https://passport.immigration.gov.ng.
During the commissioning of the project, highly placed Nigerians who were present at the event were; Chairman, of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa; representative of the International Organisation for Migration, Stephen Matete; Country Manager, Development Alternatives Incorporated, Joe Abah; Founder, Kwandala Foundation, Tijjani Musa, and the Co-founder, Technext, David Afolayan.