The Nigeria Immigration Service has revealed plans to establish a Single Travel Emergency Passport, a new biometric travel document meant to assist Nigerians overseas whose passports have expired, been lost, or stolen in returning home safely and verifiably. The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, disclosed this during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes held in Abuja, which Nigeria co-hosted with the government of France.
The Service Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, made a statement on Wednesday.
According to Nandap, the STEP would replace the present Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) as part of NIS continuing reforms, which are "aimed at strengthening Identity Management and Border
Governance frameworks in line with global best practices."
The CGI explained that “the STEP will serve as a temporary travel document for Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen, enabling them to return home in a secure and verifiable manner.”
She noted that “the travel document will be issued at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad and valid only for single entry, reinforcing the Service’s commitment to efficient service delivery and robust identity protection.”
The meeting brought together key migration management stakeholders, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NAPTIP), ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, and delegates from African and European countries.
The high-level forum aimed to increase coordination in combating migrant smuggling and human trafficking, with a focus on prevention, protection, and prosecution throughout regional migration routes.
In her keynote lecture, titled "Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses," Nandap addressed the Service's overall reform agenda, which includes improving migration management systems, international cooperation, and capacity building.