Immigration begins issuance of new passport with 10-years validity

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has begun issuance of the new passport booklet with a 10-year validity period at the agency's Headquarters, Abuja.

The enhanced polycarbonate passport booklet which was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 15, 2019, was embedded with the National Identity Number (NIN).

Conducting newsmen round the passport office in Abuja, the NIS Public Relations Officer, Sunday James, said that the new booklet was part of a comprehensive passport reform approved by the Federal government to improve the quality and security of the travel document to reduce incidences of damage, counterfeit, and forgery.

He further explained that it was compulsory for passport applicants to have a NIN number, announcing that the service’s management had set up a desk for individuals to register for the NIN, describing it as mandatory.

James stated: "The National Identity Number is compulsory for all applicants of the new document. To make it easy for applicants, the Nigeria Immigration Service has provided space for National Identity Management Commission at the service headquarters, Abuja, to register applicants and issue to them NIN.

"The public are advised not to rush for the new booklet as the new enhanced passport will run concurrently with the old one".

The NIN spokesman further said that applicants holding a passport with more than six months validity are not eligible for the new booklet except in the case of damage, change of data and those whose booklets were exhausted.