The Federal Government has revealed its intention to increase passport production by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to a daily rate of 24,000 passports once the backlog of passport applications has been resolved.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this announcement in Abuja during a visit by a delegation from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes.
The Minister indicated that significant progress had been made in clearing the backlog, with approximately 97,000 out of 200,000 passport applications already processed. He emphasized the President’s commitment to the country’s development and stressed the importance of avoiding duplications of responsibility between government agencies and ministries.
Tunji-Ojo highlighted the ongoing reforms within the NIS related to passport issuance and assured Nigerians that when the backlog is cleared, the production capacity would increase to 24,000 passports per day.
In addition to discussing passport issuance reforms, the Minister sought the support of the UNODC in providing skills training for inmates in correctional centers. He emphasized the need for correctional facilities to focus on inmate reformation and not be perceived solely as centers of condemnation.
The UNODC team leader, Mr. Oliver Stolpe, stated that their visit aimed to explore opportunities for collaboration and to identify areas where the organization has already intervened. The Minister assured the UNODC that their interventions would not be politicized, and he encouraged continued engagement between the ministry and the UN agency to prevent duplication and corruption.
