By Chioma Iruke
The Nigerian government on Tuesday postponed resumption of issuance of new passports as well as applications by a week.
Recall, that issuance and applications were initially scheduled to commence today, June 1, 2020 after it was halted May 17, 2021.
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Muhammad Babandede, who announced the new date via a statement, assured Nigerians of the governments full commitment to improved service delivery to all passport applicants even as he announced that the new date will now be June 8, 2021.
A statement issued by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Amos Okpu, titled ‘Clearance of backlog of passport applications,’ read in part, “A huge number of applicants are already turning up to collect their passports across issuing centres and this is causing some forms of congestion.
“This situation will not allow the Service to accommodate new applications especially considering our desire to ensure that people who come to our offices comply with all the COVID-19 protocols.
“Consequent upon the above, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has extended the commencement of the new passport regime earlier scheduled for June 1, 2021 by one week till June 8, 2021.
“The period shall be used to attend to applicants for collection, clear all the remaining backlogs as well as improve systems automation for the takeoff of the new passport regime effective 8th June 2021.
“The Comptroller General of Immigration assures all of full commitment to improved service delivery to all passport applicants and others.”
According to the NIS, a total of 230,500 applications have been cleared and the passports produced, of which, a total number of 43,350 are yet to be collected.
