Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo says Nigerians will now get passports within seven days. The new NIS personalisation centre processes 1,000 passports per hour, ending delays and backlogs
Nigerians to Get Passports in 7 Days as FG Unveils New High-Speed Processing Centre
Abuja, Nigeria — The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that obtaining an international passport will now take no longer than seven days, thanks to new high-speed facilities installed at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the assurance on Thursday after inspecting the newly completed Data Personalisation Centre at the NIS headquarters in Abuja. He described the facility as a “game-changer” in Nigeria’s passport production system.
According to him, the new centre will drastically cut down processing times, allowing approved passport applications to be printed within 24 hours and delivered within a week.
“This means applicants whose requests are approved can now expect their passports to be printed within 24 hours,” the minister said.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the upgrade represents a massive leap in capacity. Previously, each machine processed just 250–300 passports per day, but the new system now handles 1,000 passports per hour, giving the NIS the ability to produce between 4,500 and 5,000 passports daily.
He added that the development positions Nigeria among the ranks of global leaders such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, India, and Bangladesh, which run similar world-class centralised passport systems.
The minister also noted that for the first time since its establishment in 1963, the NIS now operates a fully centralised passport personalisation model. Unlike the old system — which relied on 96 centres across Nigeria and abroad — the new process is more secure, automated, and efficient.
He recalled that the government inherited a backlog of over 200,000 passport applications, but stressed that the new system eliminates such problems.
“This project ensures that the era of backlogs is over. Officers no longer have to work around the clock to clear piles of applications. The system is now seamless, fast, and accountable,” he assured.
With the new facility, Nigerians home and abroad can expect quicker, more transparent, and more reliable passport services. Read More
