The home delivery of Nigerian passports is set to commence in June, as announced by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
This initiative aims to streamline the passport issuance process and improve convenience for citizens.
Tunji-Ojo made this announcement on Friday during an inspection of the electronic gates at the new terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The home delivery service will initially be available in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Abuja. Additionally, the service will be launched for Nigerians in the diaspora, starting with the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Minister explained that the delay in starting the home delivery service was due to the absence of a dedicated data center. He stated, “We have completed the whole solution, but when we came on board, we realized that the data center was not really there. We were leveraging on a private company’s data center and we appreciate them for that assistance. However, we believe it is better to create a permanent solution to problems rather than quick fixes.”
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Tunji-Ojo emphasized the importance of having a secure and independent data center for the integrity of national security. “It is disgraceful that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) is 61 years old and is the custodian of biometric data of Nigerians, yet this data is domiciled with a third party. That is why we have been able to build our own data center,” he said.
He further assured that the new data center is on par with international standards, ensuring national security and data integrity. “We have built the data center, sorted the passport delivery solution, and done the final presentation in terms of technology deliverables and the tracking solution, all embedded in the application to prevent multiple lines of failure,” Tunji-Ojo added.
This development marks a significant step towards enhancing the efficiency and security of passport issuance in Nigeria, providing a more convenient service for citizens both at home and abroad.