For the first time in Nigeria’s history, passport production has been fully centralised, ending decades of decentralised operations since the establishment of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in 1963.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the landmark reform on Thursday during an inspection of the newly inaugurated Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS headquarters in Abuja.
“This is a game-changer,” the minister declared. “Nigeria can now deliver passports faster, more efficiently, and with greater integrity. The project is 100 percent ready.”
Until now, passport processing relied on multiple production centres across the country, with outdated machines capable of producing only 250–300 passports per day. The new centralised system, however, boasts a daily capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports, drastically cutting processing times.
“With this upgrade, NIS can now meet daily demand in just four to five hours of operation,” Tunji-Ojo explained. “We promised Nigerians a two-week delivery timeline, but with this system, we’re pushing for one week.”
He emphasised that the centralisation aligns with global best practices, ensuring uniformity, security, and stronger international credibility for Nigerian travel documents.
The minister also linked the reform to President Bola Tinubu’s broader transformation agenda, noting that it represents “a complete overhaul of passport services, built on automation, optimisation, and efficiency.”
“This is not just about centralisation,” Tunji-Ojo added. “It’s about restoring trust, enhancing productivity, and creating a passport system Nigerians can be proud of.”
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