Four months after the contactless passport application promised by Tunji Ojo, the Minister of Interior, should begin, many applicants still encounter troubles at Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) offices.
The minister had assured Nigerians of a passport application process that would not require a visit to an NIS office, but FIJ found that Nigerians still visit the offices and wait hours to be captured.
In an interview with Channels TV’s Seun Okinbaloye in January, the minister said a time would come when Nigerians would sit in their homes and apply for international passports without visiting NIS offices.
His words:
“Starting March 8, Nigerians will no longer have to come to our offices for their biometrics. They can do it from the comfort of their homes and have their passports delivered to them.
“The whole solution is almost ready. We have phase one, phase two and phase three. This is phase one that we have delivered. Phase two is for the one in the diaspora.
“The one in the diaspora will be delivered on February 8. Then phase three is the contactless biometric, whereby you don’t even need to go again, and that’s March 8.
“I guarantee you that in two months, you will sit at home, do your biometrics, fill in your delivery address, and we will send it to you via courier.”
To confirm if the minister had fulfilled these promises to Nigerians, FIJ contacted Nigerians who recently applied for their passports to inquire if they visited any NIS office or the embassy throughout their application process.
Precious (not real name), a Lagos resident who started his application process in May, told FIJ he received his passport two weeks after visiting the Alausa of NIS.
“I began the process by applying online in May. Two weeks later, I visited the passport office for capturing. Although there was a mammoth crowd at the office.
Peoplesmind