NIGERIA: Nigeria Immigration Service To Issue International Passports To Applicants Within 72 Hours.

Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. Muhammad Babandede, has directed Passport officers to issue International Passports to applicants within 72 hours.

The CGI also has directed for the re-configuration of the NIS Passport platform to enable passport applicants on change of name and loss of document obtain the passports at any passport office.

The CGI, in a statement from the Service Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration Ekpedeme King, also gave all the passport officers 48 hours to clear all the backlog of passport applications. During Babandede decoration as the CGI, the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen Abdulrahaman Danbazau, rtd, had charged him to reduce complaints over delay in issuance of passport.

Adhering to the Minister’s charge, Ekpedeme said: “Following complaints and agitations from passport applicants concerning service delivery at our Passport offices, the Comptroller-General of Immigration Muhammad Babandede at the Service Headquarters, Abuja has given all Passport Control Officers (PCOs) nationwide as well as Passport Issuing Desks in Nigeria’s Foreign Missions for hours to clear all backlog of Passport applications”.

According to the statement, failure to comply with the directive would be interpreted to mean the PCO is incompetent and will therefore be removed.