The Honourable Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola during the opening of Senior Management Retreat of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has directed officials of Service to exploit every capacity within the service to ensure issuance of international passports to genuine and qualified applicants within 48 hours.
While addressing the forum, the Minister emphasized that with technology, Nigeria Immigration Service must eliminate the tradition of endless wait for obtaining the Nigerian Passport by Nigerians desirous of having one. He also called on participants at the Retreat to debate and agree on the model and period it must take for a Nigerian to apply for and obtain the passport from our system anywhere in the world as swiftly as possible within the minimum human contact.
“With technology, it is possible to process & obtain the passport within 48 hours, if the application does not have any issues. Nigerian passport should be available within 48 hours maximum after application and at the official fee, the same goes for entry visa, resident permit”.
“Should there be a justifiable delay in delivering on this commitment, there must be a mechanism to communicate, such reasons (s) within a period as agreed in the retreat to such applicant for the passport which must not be later than 72 hours, after discovering such reason.”
“All officers of the NIS must as a matter of urgency, embrace the digital tradition and be technology/computer compliant, particularly at the senior and management level. Our officers must shun all forms of corruption through openness and transparency”, Aregbesola said.
He eneded by charging the NIS to deliver on its mandate to serve Nigeria with heart and might by taming all threats to internal security thereby ensuring the safety of the citizens.
