The ongoing passport reform is to crack down on non-Nigerians who illegally acquire the passport.
The reform is also to enhance security and value in the passport acquisition process, according to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
It will be recalled that Nigeria has experienced a revamped passport acquisition system, coupled with a revised fee structure that prioritises affordability.
The Interior Minister has recently reiterated crucial changes aimed at enhancing national security, streamlining the application process, and making passports more accessible to all Nigerians.
The minister said, “We are Building a Future where things should be done in a Better Way. We changed the Price of Five Year Passport because the Ten Year Passport Fee is N70,000. So, The One for 5 Years should be Half of that amount which is N35,000. We are Committed to Making Things Better in Our Country”
In the same vein, the minister said: “We have to introduce this new system in order to stop those non-Nigerians carrying Nigerian passports, The new process is working very effectively and the hiccups recorded are only 4%, which is a significant improvement for a system that is newly introduced and I assure you that in the next one or two weeks we will have near perfect system.”
According to the minister, the new system has improved accessibility, transparency and efficiency
“We are committed to making things better in our country, and that includes ensuring the security of our nation,” he said.