All of Nigeria's Country Signing Certificate Authorities (CSCAs) have been successfully imported into the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Public Key Directory (PKD) by the Federal Government of Nigeria, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the Ministry of Interior. According to the Nigeria Immigration Service, this move will eliminate passport verification difficulties for Nigerians traveling across international borders. On Monday, July 13, 2026, the ICAO Headquarters in Montreal, Canada, hosted the completion ceremony. Kemi Nanna Nandap, the Comptroller-General of Immigration, oversaw it.
The operation was conducted to address "passive authentication challenges faced by some Nigerian passport holders at select foreign border control points," according to a statement released on Tuesday by DCI AS Akinlabi, the Service Public Relations Officer.
Border control systems can easily validate Nigerian passports in all ICAO PKD member states thanks to the import of all current CSCAs into the ICAO PKD. The connection creates a "chain of trust" that enables automated systems all around the world to verify the integrity and legitimacy of Nigeria's e-passports instantly.
The development "reaffirms the Service's commitment to advancing the integrity of Nigeria's travel documents, promoting global interoperability, including seamless border clearance for holders of Nigerian passports," the statement continued.
The digital certificates that verify electronic passports and travel documents are shared among member nations via the ICAO PKD. It is anticipated that Nigeria's full involvement will improve security checks, cut down on delays, and increase the Nigerian passport's acceptance around the world.