Passport Services Not Suspended, NIS Reassures Nigerians Amid Centralisation Exercise

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has reassured Nigerians that passport application and processing services remain fully operational despite the ongoing migration of additional passport branches to the Central Personalization Centre.

Addressing concerns raised by members of the public, the service said in a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday that the exercise is an administrative upgrade aimed at enhancing passport production and improving document security, not a suspension of services.

“The Nigeria Immigration Service wants to clarify that the recent migration of additional passport branches to the Central Personalization Centre is a strategic administrative enhancement, rather than a suspension of services,” the statement read.

The agency noted that applicants can continue to complete enrolment and biometric data capture at passport centres across the country without interruption.

“Applicants can still visit their local centers to complete biometric data capture seamlessly,” it said.

Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, the NIS stated that centralizing passport production will help align Nigeria’s passport issuance process with global best practices while improving efficiency and safeguarding the integrity of the country’s travel documents.

“This centralized production framework is designed to align with global security standards, streamline processing timelines, and significantly safeguard the integrity of the Nigerian passport,” the service stated.

The Immigration Service also assured applicants that passport booklets will continue to be produced and delivered to local passport offices within the standard processing timeframe.

“Citizens can be rest assured that capturing centers remain fully operational, with physical booklets processed efficiently and returned to local commands within standard delivery windows,” the statement added.

The reassurance follows public speculation that the migration exercise could delay passport issuance. However, the NIS emphasized that the new arrangement is intended to improve service delivery, strengthen operational efficiency, and enhance the security of Nigeria’s passport system while ensuring uninterrupted access to passport services nationwide.

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