The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has described as baseless an online report claiming that a specific region of the country has been disqualified from passport issuance.
In a statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, the NIS categorically stated that the report is entirely false and a gross misrepresentation of ongoing government reforms to modernise passport administration.
“The reality is that NIS has introduced a phased onboarding system to migrate passport offices, including those in foreign missions, to a centralised production framework. This modernisation effort, which began in 2024, is designed to enhance the efficiency, integrity and security of Nigeria’s passport production system, and not to exclude any citizen,” he noted.
He added that the Service has successfully onboarded passport offices in the North East and North Central states of Borno, Yobe, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau, along with 35 international stations spread across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
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“Furthermore, scheduled migration for the five South East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, and five additional international stations (Italy, Greece, Spain, Switzerland and Austria) is currently ongoing within the first quarter of 2026,” the Public Relations Officer said.
He emphasised that, consequently, the Service has established a strict work-plan calendar to ensure this transition is seamless and does not disrupt delivery timelines, as the goal is to drive the process towards greater efficiency.
Akinlabi, however, advised the public to disregard speculative narratives capable of creating unnecessary tension, as the Service continues to implement reforms in the overall national interest. Nigeria Immigration Service remains committed to equitable service delivery and operational excellence.