The Federal Government on Tuesday inaugurated an electronic Temporary Passport to replace the Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC), for effective identity management.
The four-page document is for the one-way return journey to Nigeria usually on emergencies.
A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Sunday James, on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 reveals that the Electronic Temporary Passport was launched by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has on behalf of the Federal Government.
According to the statement, the e-temporary passport replaces the paper-type emergency travel certificate hitherto issued by Nigerians in Diaspora desirous of returning home but don’t have a regular standard passport. It also states that the electronic temporary passport has all the features of the standard passport but serves only one.
Speaking at the event in Abuja, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, explained that the Temporary Passport was an electronic document with all the features of a regular passport.
According to Mr. Aregbesola, the difference is that it is temporary and valid for one trip, and will be retrieved from the user at the entry point.
“The Temporary Passport is ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) compliant and is valid for only 30 days.
“It is a replacement for the hitherto Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) which was issued to Nigerians in emergency situations where their Passports were not available and had the need to travel to Nigeria.
“This new document is not a replacement for the Nigerian Passport; it will only serve a temporary purpose in the case of loss or misplacement of the Nigerian Passport by a Nigerian abroad.
“In the light of the present security challenges faced by the country, the Temporary Passport will no doubt help to checkmate the excess of criminal elements that take advantage of the ETC to infiltrate the country,” he said.
The minister further assured Nigerians having difficulties with obtaining the Nigerian passport that the challenge would soon end.
“We are putting measures in place that will make it very easy to obtain the passport, once they come to fruition,” he said.
The Controller General of NIS, Muhammad Babandede, in his remark noted that the introduction of the document is another way of engaging with the Diaspora population with a view to addressing their emergency travel needs stressing that the document can be issued to applicants irrespective of age.
He revealed that the replaced Emergency Travel Certificate was a huge security threat to Nigeria and the global community because it was an ordinary paper devoid of the necessary security features of a travel document.
Babandede added that the temporary Passport replacing it is a catalyst to Nigeria’s desire for effective identity management as it has a chip and surface personalization which is an enhancement of the current Electronic Passport Management System (EPMS).
