The Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, declared that passport home distribution would start in June. Speaking on May 24, Tunji-Ojo indicated that the service will launch in a few areas to prevent system overload while conducting a check of the electronic gates at the recently constructed Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) will launch the home delivery service in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Abuja.
For Nigerians abroad, the service will debut in the United States and the United Kingdom, with initial testing to ensure its effectiveness.
The minister clarified that the absence of specialized data centers was the reason behind the delay in launching home delivery. The data center of a private corporation was the NIS’s primary source of data integrity and national security, but a long-term solution was required.
“We have completed the entire solution, but when we assumed office, we realized that a dedicated data center was not in place,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
“We were using a private company’s data center, and while we appreciate their assistance, we believe it’s crucial to establish a permanent solution rather than opting for quick fixes. Although we could have launched in February, we chose to build our data center from scratch to ensure the integrity of our data and national security.”
Tunji-Ojo also expressed disappointment that despite being 61 years old, the NIS, responsible for Nigeria’s biometric data, does not yet have full control over the country’s data.
In order to optimize the adoption of the new service, a public awareness campaign will be initiated by the government. The purpose of this campaign is to educate the public about the advantages of home delivery, the application process, and the security precautions in place to safeguard their personal data. The administration hopes to foster public trust and promote broad adoption of the new system by educating the populace.
Nigeria’s adoption of home delivery for passports is a major step forward in the provision of governmental services. The Nigerian government is making a significant move toward modernizing its services and catering to the demands of its people in the digital era by placing a high priority on ease, security, and worldwide reach. The program is expected to revolutionize the passport application and renewal process, making it more user-friendly, safe, and efficient for all Nigerians when it launches in June, initially targeting major cities and then extending to the diaspora.
