Nigerian Passport: Many applicants unaware of minister’s two-week directive

As the December date for the directive by the Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for Nigerians to obtain international passports within two weeks draws near, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) checks reveal that many applicants were unaware of such a pronouncement.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Ikeja Passport Office, some of the applicants said they just got to hear of the development from the NAN correspondent for the first time.

NAN reports that Nigeria’s Minister of Interior told Nigerians on Oct. 4 that the era of waiting for months to get their passports was over. He then announced a two-week timeline for the processing of passport applications.

He made the announcement while giving an update on his directive to the Nigeria Immigration Service to clear over 204,000 backlogs of passport applications, which he said was done in three weeks.

The minister also promised that Nigerians would also be saved the pain of having to wait in long queues to upload the needed information to get their passports issued.

He said that registration would be completed online, and the only thing that would be done at any passport office was the biometrics capture and collection of issued passports.

He also revealed that the ministry was working on getting the needed equipment to make this possible in December.

“Yes, I gave a two-week deadline. I, however, have to apologise to Nigerians for delivering on it in three weeks. We had 204,332 Nigerians whose data had been captured. We cannot continue to watch them wait endlessly. I visited the headquarters of the Immigration Service and told them the narratives must change.

“So in critical frontline desks like Ikeja, Alausa, Ikoyi, Ibadan, and Abuja, we ordered that more printing machines be brought in by the service providers. Then we increased the working hours of the personnel at NIS. They started running three shifts.

Mr. Idowu Agbede, a businessman who said he had applied for an international passport since July,told NAN that he was at the Ikeja Passport Office to honour the date given to him for capturing.

“I am not aware the minister said we can get our passport within two weeks. That will be great. That is what is obtainable in some other contexts,” he said.

Mrs. Mabel Okoro, a civil servant, said, although she was not aware of the directive of the minister, getting an international passport within two weeks of applying would be a wonderful development and great relief from the hardship being experienced to procure one now.

Okoro alleged that some passport officials had made the collection of passports difficult for some Nigerians, while some other Nigerians got it easier with just a phone call.

“I will be so happy to see it done within two weeks. It is our property as Nigerians, not for the privileged ones only,” she said.

Mrs. Adaora Eze, also a civil servant, said procuring an international passport within two weeks at all centres would also eliminate touts and fraud.

Eze said that the minister’s directive was a welcome development and urged other government agencies where Nigerians obtain important documents to be looked into as well.

Mr. Emeka Onwumere, a businessman, said hearing the statement of the minister made him happy, stressing that “obtaining a Nigerian passport now is like requesting an item that one is not entitled to”.

“I am happy to hear it from you now. That is the commitment of a government that wants to make things easy for its citizens.

“I came here today to capture; I applied more than four months ago. That is not good at all. God will help the minister achieve this; Nigerians will always remember him for this feat,” he said.

NAN further quoted the minister as saying that a total of 204,332 passports were cleared, while 94,981 were collected by the applicants, leaving 109,351 uncollected.