Nigeria has commenced the issuance of its new electronic passport (e-passport).
The new Nigerian Passport is part of the new reforms approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria. It is a product of intensive review of the existing e-passport booklet which has been in circulation for over 10 years and has only 5-year validity.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) saddled with the responsibility of issuing the passports will also add details of passport holders as captured by Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
James Sunday, the Public Relations Officer at NIS made the disclosure on 29 April 2019 at a media event showing journalists around the NIS’ data capture center in Abuja.
As part of the new development the 32-page five –year passport valid for 5 years now costs N25,000, while the 64-page Passport with 5 year validity period costs N35,000. The 64-page 10-year standard passport costs ₦70,000.
According to Sunday, Nigeria’s new e-passport has several advantages including that it is valid for 10 years, has a self-tracking application, and citizens can make use of express centers for urgent application.
Nigeria’s new e-passport was first announced by President Muhammadu Buhari on 16 January 2019.
