The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has clarified the implementation of its Passport Centralisation Reform.
The clarification follows public enquiries over the phased migration of passport production from offices across the six geopolitical zones to the Central Personalisation Centre at its headquarters in Abuja.
In a statement, the Service Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, said the migration is operational and does not affect the processing and issuance of passports at any office within Nigeria or at designated embassies and consulates abroad.
He said the reform is part of a broader modernisation programme aimed at strengthening the security, integrity and efficiency of Nigeria’s passport issuance system.
“For the record, the Service adopts a five-phase migration implementation plan for onboarding passport offices within the country and designated Nigerian embassies and Consulates abroad aimed at minimising operational risk, service disruption and ensuring scalability,” he stated.
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Akinlabi outlined the five-phase implementation plan, covering passport offices in Nigeria and foreign missions.
Phase one, completed in January 2025, covered selected states in the North Central and Northeast, as well as missions across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania.
Phase two, completed in March 2026, included states in the Southeast, parts of the North Central and Southwest, alongside missions in Europe.
Phase three, completed in June 2026, covered states in the South South, Northwest and Southwest, with additional European missions.
Phase four, scheduled for August 2026, will include states in the Northeast, Northwest and South-South.
Phase five, expected to be completed by the last quarter of 2026, will cover Lagos State and selected missions in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
He explained that under the new framework, passport booklet printing and security personalisation have been centralised at the Service Headquarters in Abuja, with production and dispatch to offices nationwide and in the diaspora within two weeks.
“Passport offices in the country and designated Nigerian Embassies and Consulates will continue to function as passport processing and issuance offices”, he said
He added that the reform eliminates manual intervention in the personalisation process, enhances accountability and ensures uniform quality standards, including advanced security features in Nigerian passports.
The NIS urged applicants to continue accessing passport services at their preferred offices.
The service reaffirmed its commitment to deploying technology-driven solutions to improve service delivery and safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s passport system in line with international best practices.
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