Nigeria Immigration declares state of emergency over passport delays

*Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, unveils a comprehensive plan to resolve passport-related issues, noting the necessity to dismantle all man-made bottlenecks that impede passport application process in the country

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

In a move to resolve extant issues involved in passport application, processing, and issuance to consumers with dispatch, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has declared a state of emergency in the sector.

Tony Akuneme, Spokesman of NIS, in a statement issued Thursday, June 15, 2023, noted the Immigration Chief made the declaration during her working visit to Lagos.

The Spokesman said tge Ag. CGI’s visit to Lagos encompassed significant events that underscored the gravity of the passport crisis in Nigeria.

Adepoju had inaugurated a state-of-the-art Visa on Arrival Lounge at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja.

She as well  demonstrated her commitment to improving the overall travel experience for visitors entering the West African country.

The Ag. CGI further stressed the urgent need to address the challenges Nigerians are confronted with in the process of obtaining passports.

She also declared a comprehensive plan of action to tackle these issues effectively.

The statement said: “The acting CGI’s visit to Lagos encompassed significant events that underscored the gravity of the Passport crisis.

“In her address, Ag. CGI Adepoju emphasised the necessity to dismantle all man-made bottlenecks that impede the Passport application process.”

Adepoju further stressed that the NIS top Management officials are also fully committed to addressing institutional and technology-based drawbacks to ensure a more efficient and streamlined service delivery.